Nicolas Anelka believes he was rejected by Liverpool because he stood up to manager Gerard Houllier.
The Manchester City striker spent five months at Anfield last season on loan from Paris St Germain, but Houllier signed Senegal's World Cup star El Hadji Diouf rather than offer Anelka a permanent deal.
"It seems that Gerard Houllier did not appreciate my personality," Anelka said.
"It bothers him to have someone around who could stand up to him.
"I did not price myself out of Liverpool. Everything was going fine with me and the team.
"I proved what I was capable of. I had no problems with the management. So it was down to the coach."
Anelka got the move to the Premiership he was looking for, however, when Kevin Keegan signed him for Manchester City.
He added: "Manchester City is by no means a step backwards for me. It's a great club and I am very happy to be there."