'Arsenal coach said I'd never make it – I hope he watched me scoring for Liverpool'

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Jermaine Pennant scored just three goals for Liverpool after joining from Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)

You have to have a certain amount of quality to play for both Arsenal and Liverpool.

However, the former England Under-21 international's natural talent was sabotaged by his ill-discipline, even if he defied a hangover on his full Premier League debut to score a hat-trick against Southampton.

By the summer of 2006, a 23-year-old Pennant had already served a month behind bars for a drink-driving offence, played a game on loan at Birmingham City while wearing an electronic tag, and destroyed his relationship with Wenger after turning up late to training one too many times.

But that didn't stop Liverpool from taking their chances and signing him in a deal potentially rising to £8million.

At Liverpool, I said to my agent after scoring against Chelsea and playing in the Champions League final, ‘I wonder if Pat watched the game tonight?’”

Pennant netted his first Reds goal in a 2-0 home win over Chelsea in January 2007 and he started the Champions League final against AC Milan later that year as Rafa Benitez's side fell to a 2-1 defeat.

But those were once again fleeting high points before the hype quickly fizzled out.

Wenger's assistant Rice irked Pennant with a comment he made(Image: Getty Images)

Following a loan spell at Portsmouth, Pennant departed on a free transfer to Real Zaragoza, where his old habits – namely poor timekeeping – quickly saw him frozen out in Spain.

That was a good moment.

A hat-trick on his full debut summed up Pennant's false promise(Image: Daily Mirror)

"For Pat to say, ‘You’re not going to make it,’ and then I play the Champions League final and score against his team, [it] was pretty sweet.”

After rounding out his playing days with spells at Indian Super League side Pune City, Wigan Athletic, Tranmere Rovers, Bury and Billericay Town, it's fair to say Arsenal legend Rice, now 76, was more right than wrong in his assessment of a young Pennant.

While the 42-year-old may well have moments he can reflect fondly on, his is a career that was ultimately defined by a significant amount of underachievement.

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