After spending so much money Liverpool were a lot further behind the leaders when Houllier left than before he arrived

Anyone who doesn't learn from Ian Rush needs shooting.

It sounds mercenary and it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship. But get real, when everyone is bailing out, you don't want to be the last man standing.

Houllier couldn’t deal with players expressing any anger or questioning any of his decisions

I don't want people losing respect for me as a player. I want to go out in every game and perform to the highest level. I have no retirement plans. I've had a lot of injuries but I want to continue playing.

I used to hate Ian Rush when I was young, because I was a devout Evertonian in those days, and he seemed to score every time Liverpool played against us. It's strange to think he used to support Everton too when he was a kid. He was brilliant to me at Anfield always giving me good advice.

Houllier did what he had to do – I’m not the first person to be treated like a disposable commodity