Derby made the Swansea City midfielder their number one transfer target back in the summer but eventually gave up on Ferrie when the Swans made it clear they were holding out for the required value.
Derby moved on and started the season with their alternative choice but it did not bode well for Jewell who was unable to turn things around and he eventually departed the club recently to be replaced by Nigel Clough.
And now speaking out in the Derby Evening Telegraph he highlights the chase for Bodde as one of the things that he may have done differently if he had the time again.
Jewell said “It has been a really tough year for everybody but, I have to say, I will always be a Derby supporter now
“I couldn’t make a success of it. I tried my hardest but, for whatever reasons, it didn’t seem to work and I thought it was best for the good of Derby that I gave someone else a chance.
“It was a very tough decision to make. People ask me if I am relieved having made the decision. No, I am not relieved. It was the right thing to do.
“Nothing would have given me more pleasure than to have made a success of it but it wasn’t to be. I still have great fondness for the club.
“I want to say thank you to the fans for their magnificent support and thank you to the chairman and the staff.
“It was a hard decision and I feel I let the chairman down a little bit.
“I know this is the third time I have resigned but, the first time, I could not get on with the chairman at Bradford. The second time, I had definitely taken Wigan as far as I could, so they were successful quits if you like.
“This one hurts because I was not successful.
“I have such an affinity with Derby County, even though I was only there a short space of time.
“The good memories I take away are the fans and the size of the club.
“I am really proud to have been manager of Derby and really disappointed not to have made a success of it.
“I thought we had turned a corner and I thought everyone could see that but then we were hit by unbelievably bad injuries and bad decisions,” said Jewell.
“I remember the Forest one, when Miles Addison’s header was ruled out, and the decisions at Coventry and Blackpool.
“There are defining moments in seasons. We should have beaten Forest and the equaliser at Coventry came from what should have been our throw-in. Those points would have made a huge difference. We couldn’t quite get to a point or so behind the play-off positions.
“I thought we were moving forward and then losing Martin Albrechtsen, Dean Leacock, Steve Davies and Kris Commons at times really hurt us.
“We lacked depth in midfield. With hindsight, I should maybe have stuck out for Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde. The chairman wanted to pay £2m for him and I thought it was too much money.
“Having said that, Addison has come on and done well.
“I think I have left Derby with some decent players for nothing – (Paul) Green, Commons, (Paul) Connolly – but I know some mistakes were made in the transfer market.”
