Former Norwich City boss Mike Walker has revealed he almost became Ipswich Town manager instead of George Burley 30 years ago.

Walker, speaking to the Splendid Rush podcast, hosted by the Pink Un, said the shock move was on the verge of happening in the weeks after he left Everton in November 1994.

SIGN-UP! Get ALL of our Town content until the end of 2025 for just £25!

He'd only arrived at Goodison Park in January, having departed Norwich after a successful two year run which saw them beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup - a result still talked about in Norfolk to this day.

Mike Walker, right, celebrates a draw against Bayern Munich with Norwich City back in 1993Mike Walker, right, celebrates a draw against Bayern Munich with Norwich City back in 1993 (Image: PA) Walker, now 78, revealed that it was only a financial dispute with the Toffees that stopped him getting the Town job. The Blues were after a manager following the departure of John Lyall in early December.

He explained: "I had an offer from Sheffield Wednesday in that time [after leaving Everton] and Ipswich.

"They were up the road and knew me. I used to go to Ipswich quite a bit to watch games, so I knew the directors and people.

"I met in a hotel in Cambridge with them and talked with them; they said, 'We want you to take the job now'. But I said, 'I can't take it now.'

"It was all about money in that time then and I said 'I'm sorry, if you can wait another two weeks, hopefully this will be resolved - then I'm your man'. He said, 'We can't'.

"So they went and appointed another guy, and I sat tight. That was that."

Town legend George Burley got the job instead of Mike Walker in 1994Town legend George Burley got the job instead of Mike Walker in 1994 The other guy was, of course, George Burley, who departed Colchester United for Town in late December 1994 and went on to lead the Blues to the Premier League six years later.

But things could have been very different, as Walker reflected: "People don't want you to go from one side to the other - but we did have a meeting.

"They had to make a decision, and I said, 'Fine, you had better go ahead and do it then'. 

"When I eventually got the money, which I did, I invested in a house. I wasn't working for a while and then went back to Norwich eventually."