, ▁and ▁deliber ately ▁" black ing ▁out " ▁their ▁logo ▁on ▁his ▁bo ots ▁in ▁protest . ▁Mc Man aman ▁argued ▁that ▁his ▁contract ▁was ▁un en force able ▁and ▁an ▁un law ful ▁rest raint ▁of ▁trade . ▁Mc Man aman ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁being ▁explo ited . ▁Mc Man aman ' s ▁agent ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁Simon ▁Full er ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁Management - ▁of ▁which ▁Mc Man aman ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁football ▁client - ▁helped ▁him ▁negoti ate ▁a ▁settlement . ▁The ▁court ▁initially ▁ordered ▁Mc Man aman ▁to ▁ful fil ▁his ▁contract , ▁plus ▁an ▁undert aking ▁to ▁pay ▁Um bro ' s ▁legal ▁costs ▁for ▁launch ing ▁cont empt ▁of ▁court ▁proceed ings ▁against ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁which ▁Mc Man aman ▁accepted ▁and ▁apolog ised ▁for . ▁A ▁year ▁on , ▁however , ▁Mc Man aman ▁continued ▁to ▁d ish on our ▁the ▁deal . ▁He ▁finally ▁won ▁an ▁out - of - court ▁settlement ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁free ing ▁him ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁other ▁companies ▁for ▁what ▁he ▁regarded ▁as ▁rem un er ation ▁appropriate ▁to ▁his ▁status . ▁ ▁Depart ure ▁Having ▁signed ▁the ▁pre - cont ract ▁with ▁Real ▁Madrid , ▁Mc Man aman ▁still ▁had ▁five ▁months ▁left ▁on ▁his ▁contract ▁at ▁Liverpool . ▁New ▁manager ▁G ér ard ▁H oul lier , ▁who ▁had ▁replaced ▁Evans ▁as ▁full ▁coach ▁following ▁the ▁failure ▁of