Steven Gerrard is still unhappy about a transfer decision Liverpool made 23 years ago, saying: ‘I couldn’t believe what was happening.’

The Reds legend recalls the club getting ‘recruitment badly wrong at times’ during his long stint as a player at Anfield.

The one choice that stands out in his mind above all others came in 2002 when Liverpool brought in El-Hadji Diouf from Lens after a good World Cup with Senegal.

Manager Gerard Houllier had Nicolas Anelka on loan from PSG for the second half of the 2001/02 season and had the option to sign the Frenchman permanently.

Anelka was keen to stay at Anfield but Liverpool went for Diouf instead and the France international signed for Manchester City instead.

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Gerrard was very impressed by Anelka during his loan stint and was no fan of Diouf, scarcely believing that Liverpool made the decision they did.

‘We got recruitment badly wrong at...