to stay in English football.

Bristol City's transfer-listed Bermudian striker disclosed this week that interest had been shown from Italian Serie B club Genoa and Utrecht in Holland.

"It's not something I'm interested in right now,'' said the 27-year-old Goater who also revealed that approaches were made by other Second Division clubs Wigan and Burnley. Those two offers interested him even less as Goater has his sights on playing in one of the top two divisions next season.

Goater was put on the transfer list last month after declining a new contract offer from City. However, there has been little interest from English clubs who realise they can get him on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.

City's evaluation of Goater also continues to drop the closer he gets to March's transfer deadline without being sold. In the end they may make only a small profit on the 175,000 they paid Rotherham in the summer of 1996.

"Unless those clubs needed a striker there and then they are going to want somebody who is proven in that division,'' said Goater. "It's not a sign of disrespect to me.

"If I was in charge of a top First Division side and I could get someone for 800,000 and put them right in my team, and if I could get someone for the same price who has been in that division then that is what I would go for. "That's my way of thinking why it hasn't happened. But come the summer I'd be really be surprised if there wasn't other interest.'' Goater thinks City could try to get anywhere between 700,000 and 1 million, a price tag which could be diminishing.

"Clubs know that they can get me after March for nothing,'' said Goater. "It wouldn't surprise me if clubs were offering around 200,000 which Bristol City would be saying `no way' to. But on the other hand they could be saying `we better take that'.'' Added the Bermudian: "You have Premiership players who were quoted for a million-and-a-half and were sold for 400,000 because of that same situation.'' Because of the Bosman ruling which allows players to transfer for nothing at the end of their contracts, Goater probably won't cost as much as the 500,000 Coventry paid for Kyle Lightbourne last summer.

"A lot of people think all that affects the player but it has nothing to do with the player,'' Goater stressed.

"All that shows is that a club is willing to pay that for you, which is all good. But at the end of the day a player who goes for a million pounds could be on the same amount of (pay) money as somebody who goes on a free.''