08 May 2024 , 11:49
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Stephen Warnock has recalled his fury after a dream return to Liverpool was scuppered by Gerard Houllier.
Warnock, 42, who broke through at Anfield under Rafa Benitez before moving to Blackburn in 2007, joined Aston Villa in 2009, playing some of his best football under ex-Liverpool boss Houllier. However, a major fallout with the Frenchman left him seeking an exit from Villa Park.
Liverpool looked set to provide his escape route with Kenny Dalglish lodging a loan offer with an option to buy, only for Houllier, who had banished Warnock to reserves, to wreck the deal by moving the goalposts, via the Liverpool Echo.
"My agent rings me and says, 'you're never going to believe what's happened', Warnock told the Undr The Coch podcast. "So the manager [Houllier] was away when it [Liverpool's approach] happened and got wind of it and basically turned round and said, 'tell them we want a £1million loan fee'. Liverpool went, 'we're not paying that' and he went, 'well, it doesn't happen then'."
A desperate Warnock was willing to take a 50% pay cut to seal the deal, but couldn't save it. "I remember thinking, 'you horrible man'. I was furious, I've never been so angry. How can you stop someone playing football? It was like, because it was Liverpool, he wanted to p*** me off even more."
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The late Gerard Houllier during his spell at Aston Villa (No credit)
Furthermore, Warnock was disappointed by Houllier's assistant, Gary McAllister, who managed him at Coventry earlier in his career. He said: "I had a good relationship with him but when he went in at Villa, he just sided with Gerard all the time. I remember thinking, 'you've not helped me at all'."
The fallout with Houllier, who died in 2020 aged 73, revolved around being allowed to go straight home after games in the north-west, where he was still based. Having been told he was free to go home after a match at Manchester City, Warnock was then shocked to be reprimanded by Houllier, who demanded an apology,
When Warnock refused to say sorry, he was banished to the reserves and never played under Houllier again. He did play for Villa again though as he was reinstated by Houllier's successor Alex McLeish.
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