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Nottingham Forest's relegation at the close of the 1992-93 season made
it inevitable that their star players would leave, but while hungry eyes
were feasted on Roy Keane, Liverpool only ever had their sights set on
the former manager's son Nigel Clough. He was, to all intents and
purposes, a ready made Liverpool player. Comfortable in possession, with
a creative streak most players could never aspire to, he drew
comparisons to a number of The Reds' greatest. Flair tempered by work
rate and modesty was another quality warmed to. Handed the hallowed
number 7 shirt immediately after his £2.75 million arrival he was paired
in attack with Ian Rush in an attempt to recreate the success of the
Dalglish/Rush partnership which had worked so well during the 1980s. It
seemed to yield instant dividends.
A brace on his debut against
Sheffield Wednesday was followed by another strike in his second game
away to Queens Park Rangers. However, soon after the goals dried up as
did the club's results. He featured in just 14 games from October to the
end of the season, figuring on the scoresheet three times including a
pair in a thrilling game against Manchester United at the turn of the
year when The Reds trailed 3-0 but managed to claw a draw through a late
equaliser. The emergence of Robbie Fowler saw him lose his place in the
side and when it became clear he could not unseat the prolific
youngster his confidence shrank to negligible levels. He was never able
to recapture the form he had shown in his very early days at Anfield and
was eventually sold to Manchester City in January 1996 for a fee of
£1.5 million. (Darren Williams)
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