What a waste of money

Name: Ian Rush

Name: Ian Rush

From where to where: Liverpool to Juventus, 1987.

How much? £3.2 million (a British record fee at the time).

How bad? Seven goals in 29 Serie A games - not that bad, but homesickness had his bottom lip quivering from the moment he set foot in Italy. Returned to Liverpool a year later for £2.8 million, which meant Juventus paid £71,428.57 for every goal he scored for them.

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Why he flopped: In Rushie's own words, "it was like playing in another country".

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times