Emery was wanted at Newcastle towards the end of last year and the club were under the impression that they had a deal in place with the former Arsenal boss.
But the Spaniard eventually decided to knock back the offer from Newcastle and stay on as coach at Spanish club Villarreal.
Emery conceded that the Premier League is somewhere most top coaches want to be and the offer from Newcastle was good and it was a source of pride for him that they wanted him to head the new project.
“The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches”, Emery told The Athletic.
“So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction — and I appreciated it.
“The opportunity of a club like Newcastle, what it could turn out to be, it is normal to listen to the offer, to consider it.”
He stressed that he seriously considered the offer from Newcastle, but admitted that the decision to leave a Champions League club in Villarreal for the Magpies was always going to be tough and tricky.
“I thought about the offer and I spoke with [Villarreal president] Fernando Roig”, Emery continued.
“But I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season.
“In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here.
“I am happy and we are doing an important job.”
