Gerard Houllier admits he made a mistake showing Nicolas Anelka the door at Liverpool.
Anelka, currently the Premier League's leading scorer, returns with Chelsea today to the ground he once dreamed of making his own.
Now former Anfield boss Houllier has lifted the lid on why he snubbed a striker whose gifts he admired.
The decision, which badly shook Anelka, was a response to alleged dirty tricks from his agent brothers Claude and Didier.
Houllier said: "I think it was a mistake on my part because I should have should have carried on regardless.
"I thought, right to the end, I was going to sign him, but then I didn't feel the thing was right.
"I did not like the fact that, while he was at Liverpool with a purchase option to play for us, his brothers had tried to contact other clubs to sell him. I did not think that was fair play."
Houllier owned up to his blunder in a DVD devoted to Anelka's career.
It also features Steven Gerrard, who says: "Anelka is the type of player you want on your team rather than playing against you."
