Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has claimed that Gerard Houllier blocked his return to Anfield in 2011 due to jealousy, despite Warnock offering to halve his wages. The 44-year-old, who came through Liverpool's academy and made 67 first-team appearances before leaving in 2007, was at Aston Villa under Houllier when a potential move back to Liverpool fell through.
Speaking on the podcast 'In The Mixer', Warnock said he had a falling out with Houllier and was relegated to the reserves. He then received word from assistant manager Gary McAllister that Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish wanted to re-sign him, initially on loan with a view to a permanent deal. Warnock was eager to return, but the transfer collapsed after Villa allegedly added a £500,000 loan fee at the last minute.
Warnock believes Houllier was jealous that he could go back to Liverpool and be happy. He offered to take a 50% wage cut to facilitate the move, but Villa refused. The deal's failure left Warnock in the reserves for the rest of the season, leading to frustration that saw him booting balls into training sessions.
Houllier left Villa at the end of the 2010/11 season due to ill health, and Warnock was reintegrated by successor Alex McLeish. He later played for Bolton, Leeds, Derby, Wigan, Burton Albion and Bradford before retiring in 2018 and becoming a pundit.
