Now playing in the Premier League for the first time, West Ham struggled in their first seven games. New signing Simon Webster had a long-term injury having had his leg broken by Dicks in a training session accident. Fellow new signee Dale Gordon had failed to make the impression on the side his transfer had intended. In a move engineered by West Ham's then-Assistant Manager Harry Redknapp, Dicks was transferred in order to bring in new players. Liverpool manager Graeme Souness, on the recommendation of Redknapp, watched Dicks play in a West Ham match against Swindon Town on 11 September 1993. Souness thought Dicks to be "my kind of player" and signed him for Liverpool that week in a swap deal which involved David Burrows and Mike Marsh moving to West Ham. Extra money received by West Ham from the transfer was used by Redknapp to buy veteran striker, Lee Chapman. Dicks' signing had been part of an effort by Souness to "toughen up" the Liverpool team as he had planned to pair him with fellow hard man, Neil Ruddock.