Former Portsmouth midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi has opened up about how a move to Wanderers fell through at the eleventh hour.

Miglioranzi had impressed during a brief stint at Portsmouth after moving to England at 21 years of age.

The Brazil-born midfielder had interest from Liverpool and Everton among others but had agreed to sign for the Whites under Colin Todd in 1999.

However, Wanderers needed to move on a couple of players before they could bring in any fresh faces.

What was meant to be a slight delay turned into a disaster for Miglioranzi after Todd decided to step down from his position.

The Bolton boss had found himself at odds with some of the club's decisions including the sale of Per Frandsen, as well as releasing Scott Sellars and several backroom staff.

“My agent was working to get me the right opportunity and I was presented with the option of joining Bolton, who I had faced in the final game of the season, with their keeper pulling off a worldie of a save to deny me a goal,” Miglioranzi told The Portsmouth News.

“I accepted the move, but manager Colin Todd’s caveat was firstly he had to move on a couple of players before I could put pen to paper.

“Next thing I know, I received a call from my agent. ‘Colin just called, he has apologised profusely, but he’s going to resign. There’s no contract for you at Bolton’. They had picked a house for me too!”

Miglioranzi instead signed fresh terms at Portsmouth and went on to spend three years at Fratton Park before heading to Swindon Town in 2002.

He made 134 appearances in total for the Robins before opting to return to the United States, where he lived before moving to England.

After spells with LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union, Miglioranzi decided to hang up his boots in 2011 and now works as an agent.

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