In what was the Premier League's first season, it became clear quite quickly that Jack Walker was determined that his newly-promoted Blackburn Rovers side would not simply make up the numbers.
The British industrialist and businessman certainly trusted his manager Kenny Dalglish, allowing him to spend big on the likes of Alan Shearer, Tim Flowers, Henning Berg and Tim Sherwood.
Another piece of the Ewood Park jigsaw was Graeme Le Saux, who arrived from Chelsea 22 years ago today for a reported £700,000.
The left-back's stint at Chelsea had turned sour, particularly after a spat with manager Ian Porterfield, who had decided to substitute the defender during a game against Southampton.
Speaking recently to the Premier League's official website about the move, Le Saux said: "I remember it vividly because it was an opportunity to go to another club from Chelsea at a time when things weren't really working out for me. The opportunity to go to Blackburn was fantastic.
"But in all honesty, I remember when I was first asked if I'd be interested in going there, I did have to look it up on a map I knew it was North of Manchester but I didn't know how far North.
"Obviously with Kenny Dalglish being their manager and with what they did in their first season in the Barclays Premier League, it was amazing to become part of that. So I remember going up on the train and meeting one of my heroes, Kenny, and agreeing terms."
Le Saux made his debut against Liverpool and he would be on a losing side just twice between then and the end of the campaign as Rovers finished fourth.
The following campaign, Le Saux was part of a Blackburn team that finished runners-up to Manchester United, before they pipped the Red Devils to the title in 1995.
"What I did notice from the moment I arrived was training and within those first few days I was absolutely exhausted because the training was so intense and so competitive," he added.
"That was the standard set by the players and the management. Every training session meant something, and that was the philosophy of the club and what gave us that incredible momentum. The rest is history - we finished fourth, second and then won the Premier League in our third season."
In August 1997, Le Saux returned to Chelsea in a deal worth £5m, which at the time was a record fee for an English defender.
Liam Apicella
