Anelka: Biggest regret not joining Liverpool, the manager went back on his word

The former striker claimed he was set to stay at Liverpool permanently but his then-manager shot down the deal

Nicolas Anelka claimed his biggest regret was never signing for Liverpool permanently. The French international believes that then-manager Gerard Houllier's decision to offer a lower salary stopped his move to Anfield.

Anelka joined the Reds on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, who will travel to Anfield tonight with a Champions League semi-final spot on the line. While the former striker played for both teams, it is clear to see that he holds a soft spot for his time spent on Merseyside.

Ex-Liverpool manager Houllier signed Anelka on loan in 2001 and helped the team achieve what was, at the time, their highest Premier League finish of second. However, while many fans clamoured for the Frenchman to stay, he joined Manchester City instead.

Houllier opted to sign El Hadji Diouf that summer and spoke out about not securing a deal for Anelka the following September. He said: "I don't want to expose the reasons why I didn't want to sign him, but I think he knows why and it has nothing to do with football."

These comments led to speculation that Anelka didn't want to sign for Liverpool on a permanent basis in the first place. However, the now-47-year-old vehemently denied these claims and stood firm that he was desperate to become a Red.

Speaking on his Netflix documentary, Misunderstood, Anelka said: "Liverpool fans think I didn't want to stay. They need to know that that wasn't the case.

"That episode was tragic for me. It's a club where I could have done great things."

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in 2021, the former forward opened up about his time at Anfield and the exact reason why he didn't stay. He said: "This is my biggest regret as well because I knew it was the perfect match.

"Everything was perfect! I loved everything about the club. I had an amazing relationship with the fans. I loved them and I think it was reciprocal.

"Looking back, I am proud to have worn the jersey of this legendary club and to have known this stadium and these amazing fans."

Reflecting on Houllier's comments and the true reason for his exit, Anelka added: "It’s simple: it didn’t happen because Gerard Houllier wanted to pay a lower salary.

"It’s acceptable but you have to say it. I wanted to sign from the first minute. Of course a permanent move was discussed from the first day I joined the club.

"If you look at the first time they introduced me in the press conference, I said if I could sign now, I would, but Gerard Houllier wanted a loan because he was not sure. In the middle of March, we were in negotiations to sign. PSG shareholder Alain Cayzac said to me Gerard told him that Liverpool would sign me.

"Later on Gerard told me face to face he’d sign me permanently. In the middle of April we reached an agreement about the salary, which had stalled things a little, but I was expecting to sign my contract when the league was over but there was no news from PSG and no news from Liverpool."

During his career, Anelka played for 12 different teams including Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea and even West Brom. He retired in 2015 after a short spell in India with Mumbai City.