Igor Biscan was an FA Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League winner at Liverpool, while boasting a £5.5 million ($7m) price tag, but he admits he “wasn’t good enough” for the Reds.
The Croatian midfielder was taken to Anfield in December 2000.
He would spend close to five years on Merseyside, with 117 appearances taken in and four pieces of silverware collected – with a Community Shield triumph also savoured.
Biscan’s versatility proved to be a useful asset as he figured in a number of different positions, but he never truly convinced during his time in English football.
The 41-year-old, who has now moved into coaching, concedes that he did not live up to expectations, telling Liverpool’s official website: “The main reason is that I wasn’t good enough, to be honest.
“It took me some time to really adapt and understand and find my place in the team, within the team in this type of football.
“It wasn’t easy and I didn’t play much. I just needed to change some things about the way I think about the game; then I did it and when I did it, when I changed some things, of course I still had to be patient and give myself a little bit of time.
“Then it was OK, I felt much better and felt I could play much easier.”
Biscan was a regular under Rafa Benitez, with the Spanish coach arriving in 2004, and formed part of the squad that claimed a memorable Champions League crown against AC Milan in 2005.
On working with Benitez, he added: “When he first spoke to me, he asked me which position I preferred to play and I told him I’d like to play as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder.
“Maybe that was the main thing for me, because I felt I could give my best in that position and it proved to be true.
“This season [2004-05] was really famous in the end; it was a special season, and for me personally as well because I would say that season was the only season out of the five I was there that I really, I believe, played the level at the top of my abilities.
“At least that’s what I thought. And I contributed the way I expected myself to contribute during the whole period I was there.
“Sometimes it just happens like this. Fortunately for me, I managed to reach at least that level of quality that I could play a part.”