Martin Jol insists he would rather have had the player than the cash as he prepares his Tottenham side to face former charge Michael Carrick and Manchester United.
Carrick completed an £18.6 million move to United at the end of July, in a transfer that could net Jol as much as a £15 million profit on a player he signed from West Ham just two seasons previously.
But as Spurs prepare to travel to Old Trafford on Saturday - a venue where they have not recorded a win since 1989 - Jol revealed he was reluctant to part company with the midfielder, despite the financial incentive.
"I take no pride because I would have loved it if he had stayed," said Jol.
"I have coped with the idea for the last six or seven weeks. It wasn't easy because we wanted to keep him, everyone knows that, but he wanted to go and not only up north, he wanted to go to Manchester United, so in the end, they paid us and I had to let him go.
"The only thing you can do is look forward and try to find a good blend in midfield again, and I think we have the players for that.
"He never said 'I'm going'. He asked me. He came over and said 'I love it here but this is an option for me', and he comes from the north.
"It helped maybe a bit that it was Manchester United and the only thing for us was then to think about it."
Spurs' faltering start to the season has seen some observers suggest Jol made a mistake in parting with the England international, but the Dutchman claims his hands became tied.
"How could I make a mistake?," Jol asked. "You know the story with Carrick. Let's finish the story. There was no hide and seek. We wanted to keep him, he wanted to go and he was not cheeky. He was honest.
"It was not a matter of two minutes. It was a matter of four weeks. If I am frustrated, Jose Mourinho will be frustrated with William Gallas.
"You will have that sometimes. Then, the next week, Dimitar Berbatov wanted to come when he could have gone to other clubs. Didier Zokora was the same and Edgar Davids. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
but carrick did not seems to impress so far...
give him some time la. he shone for tottenham afterall
