Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has revealed that he asked to leave White Hart Lane before finding his recent goalscoring form.
The Russia international has bagged nine goals in his last nine games after initially struggling since his £14million move from Spartak Moscow in 2008.
With top scorer Jermain Defoe forming a good understanding with summer arrival Peter Crouch, the 29-year-old's first team opportunities had been limited this season.
And before Robbie Keane's loan move to Celtic in January, Pavlyuchenko frequently found himself fourth-choice striker at White Hart Lane.
However, Keane's temporary departure offered Pavlyucehnko a lifeline and he responded by giving boss Harry Redknapp a selection headache with a prolific streak of form.
After disrupting the first-choice front pair of Defoe and Crouch, the Russian admits he had seriously considered leaving the club before his goals helped him settle in London.
"When I wasn't playing for a while I asked the manager to do something about it," he told the Daily Mail.
"I asked him to sell me to a different club, or send me somewhere on loan. Not playing is difficult for any football player because the career of a footballer is not long.
"I would like to say thank you my supporters. They've been very supportive, even when I wasn't playing. The way I pay them back is by scoring goals."
Despite finally finding form in a Tottenham shirt, Pavlyuchenko's future at the club remains the subject of speculation, but he insists compatriots living in the city have helped him and his family settle.
"I like to spend time with my friends Andrey Arshavin and his family, Yuri Zhirkov and his family. We have got so many Russian friends over here."
