Craig Bellamy has claimed that he almost signed for Everton in 2005 but was put off by a meeting with David Moyes.
The Welsh frontman said that he spoke to the Toffees when he was looking to leave Newcastle United.
After agreeing personal terms, Bellamy met with Moyes, who has now left Everton for Manchester United, and was presented with an odd set of rules.
In his autobiography, serialised in the The Mirror, Bellamy says that he was told to not shake his head if given an instruction during a game and speaking directly to Moyes only if he had anything on his mind.
"I would have signed without that second meeting, but now I couldn't," Bellamy wrote.
"I don't hold a grudge and have got a lot of time for him. My guess is someone told him I would be trouble, and he panicked."
Bellamy will be back in the Premier League next season with Cardiff City.