The question is rhetorical for Rowan Vine. With his 30th birthday just a few weeks away, the St Johnstone striker is old enough to know better; to know that you cannot put a price on memories; to know the importance of making the right move.
The Englishman was just 24 when he left Luton Town to join Birmingham City in a deal worth £3m. A powerful, clever forward, his debut goal moved the club to the top of the Championship and he was soon celebrating promotion to the top flight. Yet within a few months, he was surplus to requirements, the Midlands club hawking him around England before QPR agreed to take him on loan. His star was already on the wane, even if the Loftus Road club soon made the move permanent.
In the intervening four years, Vine has not "kicked a ball properly", playing less than 50 games as a double leg fracture and his struggle to find fitness and form caused him to move between clubs. Released from his QPR deal, he arrived in Perth on trial during the summer, scored twice in a friendly against Bristol City and almost immediately agreed to a one-year deal despite interest from England and from Rangers. But why?
"I could have gone looking for as much money as I could but I came to St Johnstone and made my decision based on quality of football," he says. "There was talk of Rangers but it didn't materialise and I wasn't that welcoming of it anyway, even though I was actually a fan of the club when I was younger. A conversation took place but I've got to play as many games as I can at the highest level possible and, if I do that and get back to where I think I can, then there will be a lot of teams interested."
Whether those will be the kind of teams he is keen to play for is another matter. Despite the drab, attritional efforts of St Johnstone and Dundee United during this goalless draw on Saturday, Vine insists he is thoroughly enjoying himself, even if he believes the Perth side – who have signed striker Steven MacLean – are not carrying much luck and need to take more care in the final third.
Furthermore, he professes the Clydesdale Bank Premier League to be of a far higher standard than Leagues One or Two, in which he spent last term. "The feeling in England is that it's weaker, but I'd much rather be playing here than down there where the quality is lost. Teams try to play the right way."
Within that critique might just be a lesson for the likes of Johnny Russell and Gary Mackay-Steven. The Dundee United duo were subject of a joint £1.25m approach from Huddersfield Town on Friday but will remain at Tannadice until January at the very least; something both Vine and Richie Ryan, their United team-mate, believe will be beneficial. "They're only 21, 22 and they're going to play every week and constantly have the ball at their feet," explained Ryan who moved from Ireland to Sunderland at the age of 16. "If they continue to produce the goods, clubs will have to pay decent money for them. And it's not just Johnny and Gaz, we've got a squad littered with young players who are full of potential."
That was shrouded on Saturday as a nervousness gripped both teams. United, determined not to concede after their defensive dismay against Kilmarnock the previous weekend, were grimly resolute, but offered next to nothing in the absence of the injured Mackay-Steven, while St Johnstone lacked the guile to break them down and panicked whenever they were afforded a rare sight of goal.
A point, in the end, was welcomed by both managers; United extending an unbeaten league run against their Perth neighbours to 17 matches, and the hosts ensuring they avoided a third consecutive defeat. "We looked solid but we're not getting a lot of luck," said Vine. "Nothing is dropping for us but spirits are high among the boys and that's the most important thing."
