Former Liverpool youngster Tom Brewitt has admitted he tried to injure his team-mate to further his chances of making his debut.
It came during Jurgen Klopp's first season in charge when he was experiencing an injury crisis at the back.
Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure and Martin Skrtel had all been ruled out, meaning the Reds would have to turn to their academy.
An FA Cup match against League Two side Exeter was on the horizon and it was a chance for one youngster to make their mark.
Brewitt decided to take it upon himself to make sure nobody would take that opportunity away from him.
The defender, speaking to the Football Journeys Podcast, admitted to putting in a dangerous tackle on Dan Cleary during training.
The objective was to rule him out for the upcoming match, with his fellow academy graduate his direct competitor for a place in the squad.
He said: "Jurgen knew there was a crisis so he was going to play Jose Enrique centre-half and he was going to bring back Thiago Illori from his loan.
"We didn't know that until the first week of January, so running up to the back end of December, it was me or Dan Cleary, who in my head was going to make their debut for Liverpool's first-team in this game.
"Me and Dan always got on to be honest, but I think I ended this relationship.
"I took the decision, it was me or him, so I went after him in training.
"Before Christmas and the time between Christmas and New Year, I put myself next to him in possession games, I put myself next to him in games, and I just kicked him.
"I wasn't trying to hurt him badly but I was trying to hurt him enough so he was out the way and I would play.
"It was about a week before the Exeter game and I took a bit of a heavy touch in a seven-a-side and he's come in to tackle me.
"I waited a split second too long and absolutely topped him, went over the ball, it was a bad tackle.
"I knew it was a bad tackle, I did it on purpose and I'm not incredibly proud of it.
"I'm not ashamed of it, either, because in my head it was me or him and I was choosing me."
Brewitt never even made the squad in the end and was released in 2017, while he now plies his trade for Morecambe.
