Stephen Gerrard admitted he was incredible about Liverpool’s infamous decision to sign El Haji Diuf in place of Nicola Anerka in 2002.
This has been one of the club’s biggest regrets about transfers. Nicholas Anelka spent a season on loan with the Reds, impressing Stephen Gerrard and his teammates.
However, the £13 million permanent transfer was a failure as the club focused on the Senegalese forward who played in the World Cup.
Stephen Gerrard criticizes Liverpool for not signing Nicola Anelka
He appeared on the latest episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, discussing a variety of topics.
Gerrard spoke about the controversial move to Madrid by Trent Alexander-Arnold. He also mentioned the club’s decision not to sign Anerka, explaining that this is a typical case of a big mistake in recruiting staffing, choosing strikers based on their explosive international form in a short period of time rather than proven long-term pedigree.
“Our recruitment was sometimes badly wrong. To give an example, we had the chance to sign Nicola Anerka or El Haji Diuf, but we were not a five- or six-year contract player, but we won Diuf in the four- or five World Cups.”
Gerrard cited Anerka’s aura during practice as evidence of his qualities during practice. “Anelka came to our practice sessions and we found out he was the coolest guy ever, calm, relaxed, he had an aura and confidence and was ready to win.
“Anelka came in and was on a higher level than anyone else, and then the decision was made and I couldn’t believe what was going on.”
The decision will plague Liverpool as Anerka enjoyed a glorious Premier League career elsewhere, while Diuf failed to meet expectations on and off the pitch.
Nicola Anerka’s great career in the Premier League with top clubs
Nicola Anelka’s Premier League career speaks for itself. He made a quick appearance for Arsenal, playing in 65 league matches and scoring 23 goals, before serving as national teams for Liverpool (loan), Manchester City, Chelsea, and more.
At Manchester City, Anerka has scored 37 goals in 89 appearances, establishing himself as one of the league’s most consistent forwards.
| club | Appearance | the goal | assist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 184 | 59 | 27 |
| Manchester City | 103 | 45 | 8 |
| Arsenal | 90 | 28 | 14 |
| Liverpool | twenty two | 5 | 3 |
During his time at Chelsea, he scored 38 goals in 125 games, winning both the Premier League title (2009-10) and Golden Boots (2008-09).
Throughout his Premier League career, Anerka scored 125 goals in 364 matches, ranking him as the top French top scorer in English football history. These numbers highlight how Liverpool’s decision in 2002 was a huge price to pay.