Mario Balotelli told Liverpool teammates he was keen to impress Jurgen Klopp without knowing his new boss had already planned to offload him.
The Italian striker made little impact at Anfield after being a surprise addition under Brendan Rodgers, with big question marks over the players attitude.
Klopp's arrival seemed to light a spark in Balotelli though, who informed his playing colleagues he was intent on becoming a key man for the manager after returning from a loan spell at AC Milan.
But by that point Klopp had already made his mind up on the notorious football bad boy, according to The Athletic, who claim the decision was made to sell Balotelli immediately.
Balotelli was already known to Klopp during the latter's spell at Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp was impressed with the forward's talent, but believed he would never be a huge success at the top level as he was not prepared to put the work in.
Liverpool later devised a plan to cut their losses on Balotelli off the back of Klopp's wishes, who left him out of a pre-season tour of America.
Instead he was told to train with the under-18s, and informed he no longer had a future at the club.
Balotelli was so desperate to impress that he gave a standout performance in a training match.
Liverpool's then-under-18s coach Michael Beale even used Balotelli as an example to his young charges.
Beale warned them how much work they needed to put in to earn a chance in the first team, given how good Balotelli was in comparison, and he was being shipped out elsewhere.
Now 29, Balotelli has continued his journeyman-like career since.
After spending three fairly prolific years at Nice following his Liverpool departure, he then moved on to Marseille.
He stayed there just six months though, before heading home to Italy with Brescia - his eighth different club.
