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Former Liverpool star Sean Dundee was left stunned when weighing up his options during the summer of 1998.
He had previously enjoyed two outstanding spells with Karlsruher SC, finding the net 41 times in 87 outings to cement his reputation as one of the Bundesliga's most lethal forwards and even helping propel the club into European competition.
However, after witnessing his goalscoring form desert him in what would become his final campaign with the side, managing just four strikes, the time had arrived for a fresh start for the then 25-year-old. Despite his underwhelming season, he still had several suitors vying for his services in the transfer market.
Yet nothing could have prepared him for the bombshell when he discovered Liverpool had thrown its hat into the ring for his signature.
"I was very surprised when I heard Liverpool were interested in me," he admitted to the Liverpool ECHO. "I mean, I had three teams interested in me already and was stuck trying to choose between them.
"One in the Bundesliga, Gladbach, I had Auxerre in France, and Glasgow Rangers. Weeks on, I still wasn't sure what to do. And then, as soon as Liverpool came in, it was like, 'All right, I'm going there!' There was no doubting or hesitation. As soon as I heard, I said, 'That's it, that's where I want to go.'"
Dundee would seal a switch to Anfield as the Reds secured his services as backup for Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, and Karl-Heinz Riedle. However, what was meant to be a dream transfer quickly turned sour as the forward failed to make his mark at Liverpool.
With a mere five appearances off the bench, he was unceremoniously let go by Gerard Houllier, heading back to Germany after just over a year and a paltry 56 minutes on the pitch for the Reds.
Unsurprisingly, Dundee's Liverpool career hasn't been looked upon favorably in retrospect. He's often dubbed as the worst striker in the club's history, and even accused of being one of their most disappointing players and signings.
Dundee is fully aware of these labels but maintains that he's come to terms with them. Looking back, he wishes he had put in more effort during pre-season and that his Liverpool career had taken a different turn, but he harbors no regrets about joining the Reds despite how things panned out.
"You know what? I’ve gotten over that now," he responded when asked about those 'worst player' tags. "What should I do? I mean, I’ve seen it. I’ve read it. I know what’s said about me and my Liverpool career. The worst player the club’s had, the worst striker. That's just the way it is.
“At every club, there's players that have been flops. I follow the Bundesliga, I follow Bayern, and players there are flops, they haven't done well. And that worst player label, it doesn't bother me anymore. I was just proud to have been there.
"If I could go back I would have worked harder in the pre-season, and things would have all been different. That's just the way it is. I can't do much about it. It was that first impression. When I went there, I wasn’t fit. That’s the main reason. Obviously, I regret it.
"I would have loved to have had a future there. I would have loved to have played there more. But, I don't regret going there, you know? It was an experience. I met some great players, met some great people. And yeah, I'd like to do it all over again.
"I just keep on supporting the club, and when people say things like that, that I was the worst ever player or striker, it doesn't really bother me anymore."
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