Ex-Russia star Dzagoev: I regret turning down Abramovich and Chelsea

Former Russia star Alan Dzagoev admits he regrets turning down Chelsea.

Dzagoev announced his retirement this week.

The former CSKA Moscow and Rubin Kazan winger told the Nobel Youtube channel: "How would I fix my career? Well, probably the moment when there was an option to leave for Chelsea, I had to leave.

"It was... all I had to say was 'yes'.

"(Yuri) Zhirkov called and said that Roman Abramovich was asking if I wanted to go to Chelsea. The conditions were such that I train with the main team and only play in cup matches. I wasn't ready for that then...

"I wasn't afraid to play, I was afraid of everyday life. I consulted with my father and mother. They said that I would still have time. And then, when I was ready, after 2012, there were no real proposals, which is strange, in my opinion.

"If I could turn back time now, then I would go to Chelsea, of course, 100 percent."