"THE TRUTH!" (IT WAS EVERYONE ELSE'S FAULT)
"I wanted to stay and help Swindon back up and I also felt I owed something to the people who voted for me as player of the season. But when Dennis Wise came in as manager he contacted Sean O'Hanlon on his first day but never phoned me.
"Blackpool was a bad decision and looking back of course I have regrets moving there.
"I even had serious doubts on the morning of signing and phoned my dad - because I did have bad feelings about it.
"I wanted to stay at Swindon, it is important to say that. I was honest enough to Mark Devlin at the time that I'd had talks with Blackpool but I also made it clear I did not want to go.
""I said if they could get near an offer I thought was reasonable I would stay. I was not asking for the same as Blackpool were offering, because obviously they were in a higher division.
"I knew what the other players were on at the club roughly and what I was asking for was not extortionate.
"I did not expect to be the highest paid player. Mark Devlin seemed quite happy with the figures at first."
"Considering I had been voted player of the year I thought it was strange he did not even get into contact with me.
"Mark Devlin reassured me they were still talking through the budget but I was not convinced by what he was saying.
"They then said they were going back to their original offer and one-year deal with money that was poor in anyone's books.
"I don't regret leaving because I had no choice.
"I do feel let down by the club but I still remember some great times there."
http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/display.var.2241925.0.rhys_i_didnt_want_to_leave.php
