Joe Allen was blocked from making his Liverpool debut on Sunday after Swansea City refused to grant special dispensation for him to play in a pre-season friendly.
Allen signed for his new club after a 5pm deadline on Friday. He needed to be registered with the Premier League before then so he could face Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield yesterday.
Despite being signed outside Premier League office hours, Allen would still have been free to play had the selling club given Liverpool their permission.
Still upset by Allen’s departure, Swansea City refused a request by the Merseyside club and the Wales international was forced to watch from the stands.
Liverpool won, with Andy Carroll among the goalscorers, and Allen will now join the Wales squad to face Bosnia in midweek.
His debut for his new club is now likely to be the first Premier League game of the season against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns next Saturday.
Although frustrated he was unable to integrate Allen into the squad, Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager formerly in charge of Swansea, was pleased the £15 million signing was finally complete.
“Joe will fit in very well. I like technically gifted players and I like good people, and he is a very humble young guy. He is a very talented boy,” said Rodgers.
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