As far as footballing enigmas go, none fit the bill much better than Collymore. He was one of the most talented, unpredictable but, ultimately, wasted English talents of the 1990s. He joined Liverpool from Nottingham Forest for a then British record free of £8.5m in 1995. He was a fast, powerful striker and at 24 he had the world at his feet. Life couldn't have started any better for him at Anfield either, with a superb individual effort on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday earning the Reds an opening day victory at Anfield. Although in his two years on Merseyside he forged a terrific strike partnership with the prolific Robbie Fowler, Collymore's unpredictable behaviour and questionable attitude made him difficult to warm to. He reportedly refused to move near Liverpool in order to be near his mum, meaning he had to travel 80 miles to training every day, and he also didn't see eye to eye with a number of his teammates. His poor behaviour eventually ground down manager at the time Roy Evans, who sold him to Aston Villa for £7m in 1997. Collymore had the ability to become a Liverpool legend had he stayed at the club for several years or more, but in the end he was far too high maintenance and was not worth the effort.
