Ryan Bertrand has revealed that a proposed move from Chelsea to Nottingham Forest in January 2011 progressed so far that the Blues mistakenly stopped paying him. The former England international, who was on loan at Forest at the time, said the club had agreed a deal to sign him permanently without his knowledge.
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Bertrand recalled how Forest manager Billy Davies called him into his office to ask if he was staying. The defender said he had no idea about the transfer, and decided to return to Chelsea to fight for his place under Carlo Ancelotti, rather than complete the move.
However, on returning to Chelsea, Bertrand discovered that he had not been paid for the month. His mother called the club to ask why, and was told that the club had him down as having left. Bertrand believes the deal with Forest was so far advanced that Chelsea had removed him from their payroll.
He also described feeling that a director at Chelsea was pushing another left-back ahead of him, which influenced his decision to go back and compete for the position. Despite the confusion, he stayed at Chelsea and later helped the club win the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
Bertrand eventually left Chelsea permanently for Southampton in 2015, making 152 appearances over six years. He ended his career at Leicester City, retiring in 2023 after two injury-hit seasons.
