Legendary Norwich City boss Mike Walker has revealed he was close to becoming the manager of arch-rivals Ipswich Town shortly after departing Everton in 1994. 

Walker, considered one of the Canaries' best-ever managers, led Norwich to triumph over Bayern Munich and recorded a third-place finish in the inaugural Premier League campaign through a swashbuckling tactical approach. 

The Welshman departed Carrow Road after a series of disagreements with former chairman Robert Chase before joining Everton. 

After his departure at Goodison Park in November 1994, Ipswich were also searching for a new boss after John Lyall's exit a month later. 

That provoked conversations between the Suffolk side and Walker, but a pay dispute with Everton prevented him from taking the post at Portman Road, which George Burley eventually took. 

"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'," Walker told the Splendid Rush podcast, hosted by the Pink Un. 

"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."

That proved to be a significant sliding-door moment for both the Welshman and Ipswich—Walker eventually returned to Norwich in June 1996, while Burley managed Town over 400 times and guided them back to the Premier League after five seasons away. 

Mike Walker held talks with Ipswich Town after departing Everton in November 1994.Mike Walker held talks with Ipswich Town after departing Everton in November 1994. (Image: PA) Whilst he accepts it would have tainted his legacy at Carrow Road, Walker is glad he held out for what he was due from the Merseyside club instead of jumping into the role at Ipswich. 

"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."

- Former Norwich City boss Mike Walker was speaking to Winston Gallagher in the first episode of the Splendid Rush podcast hosted by the Pink Un, available to listen now below