Liverpool ignored Eric Cantona advice to sign midfielder who became symbol of Anfield decline

Graeme Souness is the first to admit his tumultuous time in charge of Liverpool was littered with too many misjudgements.

Not least in the transfer market.

And arguably one of his biggest clangers came moments after one of the best moments of his reign, when in November 1991 the Reds overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Auxerre in the UEFA Cup to win the return leg 3-0 at Anfield.

"After the game, Terry Littlewood, who used to look after the players' lounge and my lounge, security-wise, knocked on my door and said there's a pal outside, he's a good friend of yours and he wants to speak to you," recalled Souness in 2020.

"I said 'who is it?' and he said 'it's Michel Platini'. Not a close pal of mine, the only time I had come in contact with him was when I played against him when I was in Italy.

"He came in and said 'I've got a player for you, he's a real problem in France but he's really talented and he'd be perfect for your club'.

"I said 'look, Michel, I'm fighting fires here at the moment, I'm trying to get some people out of the door that are resisting, I'm fighting a dressing room here. The last thing I need is another controversial figure'."

That player was Eric Cantona, who rather than switch to Anfield had a trial at Sheffield Wednesday before signing for Leeds United and, within 12 months, joining Manchester United.

Souness, though, knew he needed reinforcements and, 30 years ago today, instead opted to take a chance on a player who had caused his Rangers team problems during his previous job in Scotland.

Alas, Istvan Kozma wasn't quite the same rip-roaring success in the Premier League as Cantona, and unwittingly became a symbol of the decline of a team that less than two years earlier had been champions.