Graeme Souness has revealed how he passed up the opportunity to sign future Manchester United greats Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona during his time in charge of Liverpool.
The Scot, who was Reds manager between 1991 and 1994, was recommended Cantona by Michel Platini but was worried the Frenchman would prove a troublemaker.
And Schmeichel, who went on to become United's greatest goalkeeper, wrote to Liverpool asking for a trial but Souness did not take him up on his request.
The former Rangers, Blackburn and Newcastle manager said he regretted both decisions.
He told author Simon Hughes in his book "Men In White Suits": "Ron Yeats was the chief scout and he came into my office one day and showed me a letter. It read: 'I am a Danish goalkeeper who has been a Liverpool supporter all my life. I am willing to pay for my own travel expenses. Can I come to Melwood for a week's trial?'
"I was trying to edge [first-choice goalkeeper] Bruce [Grobbelaar] out. But it was proving difficult. I thought if another goalkeeper turned up, we were going to have more problems with Bruce. So it never happened.
"We played Auxerre in the UEFA Cup. After the game, Michel Platini knocks on my office door and comes in. He said he had a player for me. 'A proper player.' He told me that he was a problem in France but would be perfect for Liverpool.
"The player was Eric Cantona. I said: 'Listen, I'm fighting lots of fires here at the moment; I don't need any more trouble.'
"It was another situation where I should have been more open-minded."
Cantona went on to join Leeds and then, in 1992, Manchester United, where he helped them win four Premier League titles in five years after they had gone 26 years without becoming champions.
He also scored in two FA Cup finals, including the winner against Liverpool in the 1996 final, was appointed United captain and was named both PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year.
Schmeichel joined United in 1991 from Brondby and won 15 trophies during his eight years at Old Trafford, captaining Sir Alex Ferguson's team in their 1999 Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich.