Charlton Athletic were one of a couple of Championship clubs interested in ex-Cardiff City midfielder Loic Damour over the summer.
The 28-year-old ended up moving to the Scottish Premiership to join Hearts.
The Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock has revealed he wanted to keep him but he was keen on leaving, as per a report by Wales Online: “A few clubs down here wanted him – Charlton and another couple. But I said to him: ‘Edinburgh is the place, Loic. It’s a gorgeous place.’ I’ve always wanted to manage up there.”
“I like Craig (Levein, Hearts manager) and I told Loic that if Craig is in for him then that’s the one to choose. Craig had rung me for about five weeks about him. At first I said ‘no chance’ but he wore me down.”
He added: “Craig made it clear how much he wanted to sign him. When the lad spoke to me about Charlton, I said: ‘Loic, you can’t afford to live in London. It’s unbelievable. In Edinburgh, you’ll be in the team, you’ll love the city, the fans are fantastic and Craig is a good bloke.’ I just thought it fitted him, really.”
“He is a manager’s dream. An absolute manager’s dream. Every day in training, he’s the same as how he plays. I mean, some of his tackles are rash at times but he is so genuine. I didn’t want him to go. I’d have him in my squad every day of the week.”
Damour joined Cardiff in 2017 from Bourg-Péronnas and helped the Welsh side gain promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the club.
