08.Emile Heskey 09.Robbie Fowler 10.Michael Owen
37.Jari Litmanen 32 Jon Newby
Heskey, nicknamed 'Bruno', became Liverpool's record signing on March, 10, 2000 costing The Reds ¢G11m on his signing. Heskey, who made his full England debut against Argentina on Feb 2000 was the third biggest fee exchanged between British clubs. Like a previous son of Filbert Street, Gary Lineker, Heskey understood that he had to move away from his boyhood club to further his career.
The man they call 'Bruno' joined as a trainee five years ago, and made his debut as a 16-year-old in March 1995 in a Premiership game at QPR. But that was his only appearance as the club slid out of the top division that season.
Heskey began to make his name as Leicester won promotion in the following season, and scored his first Premiership goals against Southampton in August 1996. That season he formed a 27-goal partnership with Steve Claridge.
His first goal at Wembley was a late equaliser in the 1997 Worthington Cup Final against Middlesbrough, earning his club the replay that brought Leicester their first major honour for the first time in 35 years. He had a glorious week back at the Twin Towers at the end of February this year with that England man-of-the match appearance and a second Worthington Cup winners' medal as Leicester beat Tranmere.
His potential has never been in doubt. He is strong, quick and good in the air, but a lack of goals has always been a worrying chink in the youngster's armour.
He scored goals for the England U21 and B squads, but failed to make an impact on the upper echelons of the Premiership goalscoring charts. Last season he did not score after December 12, firing a blank in his last 20 appearances of the campaign. He also had a barren spell in 1997/8, going through 21 games with only one goal.
Place of Birth: Leicester
Date of Birth: 11/1/78
Height: 6'1", Weight: 13.0
Position: Striker
Signed for Liverpool: from Leicester City for ¢G11m
Previous Club :Leicester City
Debut for Liverpool: Sunderland (March 11, 2000)
International: England
Robbie Fowler has been christened 'The Toxteth Terror' by the newspapers for his deadly strike rate. He gave notice of what was to come when he
scored against Fulham in 1993 on his debut, in the first leg of a League Cup tie, and then hit
five in the return game! Although still a youngster he has shown remarkable maturity in handling the pressures of taking over from the legendary Ian Rush at Anfield.
Robbie is one of the most natural goalscorers in the game today. Confident with the ball on
either foot, quick over 10 yards, accurate in the air and with a tremendously powerful shot, he
has a remarkable eye for goal.
Controversy marred the 98-99 campaign for Robbie, but in the close season he worked harder
than ever on his game to make the 99-2000 campaign his best ever and was rewarded by being
named vice-captain of the side.
Place of Birth: Liverpool, Toxteth
Date of Birth: 9/4/75
Height: 5'11", Weight: 11 10
Position: Striker
Signed for Liverpool: from Liverpool youth
Debut for Liverpool: Fulham (September 22, 1993)
International: England
Chose to play for England as schoolboy. Smashed Ian Rush's record of 72 goals in season, netting 97 for Deeside Primary Schools.
Set new mark for England Schoolboys, beating Nick Barmby's record. At 16, scored 11 goals in five appearances as Liverpool won FA Youth Cup for first time. Also scored three for England in recent World Youth Championship in Malaysia. Liverpool debut as substitute, May 6, 1997, scoring in 2-1 defeat by Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. The star man at the club at youth level, Michael Owen has been a prolific goalscorer at both club and international level for England's youth teams. Is now being compared to Fowler and most people thinks he is just as good
as Fowler was at his age. He has even beaten some of Robbie Fowler's scoring records in the lower sides at the club. Made the reserve team this year and scored twice in the win over Forest
reserves. Since the transfer of Phil Charnock, Michael get his chance to promote to the first team in December 1996, for only 17 years old. He get his first debut after the 3 matches ban of Robbie Fowler, and he score goal also in the match against Wimbledon. Then he win the Golden Boots Award in 97/98 and 98/99, two consecutive season. Remember this was only his first two season in the premier league football and it was such a great achievement.
Not only this, he has already become this century most youngest player playing for England at only 18 years and 2 months. Then he also became the youngest player ever to score goal for England against Morocco in a World Cup warm up game in May 1998. Anyway, nobody will forget his Golden Goal against Argentina and became a worldwide hero during France 98 and returned to Liverpool with the world aware of his immense talents.
Place of Birth: Hawarden, North Wales
Position: Striker
Signed for Liverpool: from Liverpool youth
International : England Youth, Under-18, 10 Full Caps
New Liverpool signing Jari Litmanen is without question the most famous Finnish footballer of all time. The 29-year-old, recruited on a free transfer from Barcelona, is a quiet and reserved individual who tends to shun the limelight, but back home he enjoys the kind of celebrity that, in sporting terms, is normally reserved for the country's world-class car drivers, ski jumpers and ice hockey players.
Jari could have chosen ice hockey ahead of football - he was a very useful player in his youth - but preferred to follow in the footsteps of his father and began his career at hometown club Reipas Lahti, aged 15. His superior footballing talent was quickly evident and by the age of 19 he had already won the first of many Finnish Player of the Year awards. A move to Finland's top club, HJK Helsinki, soon followed, and he also spent a year with MyPa, where he won his first major trophy, helping the club to win the 1992 Finnish Cup.
Jari was already an established Finnish international by the time Ajax came in for him at the start of the 1992/93 season. He started slowly in Amsterdam but in his second season, after replacing Inter Milan-bound Dennis Bergkamp, he took the Dutch league by storm, finishing up as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 26 goals as Ajax won the first of a hat-trick of Dutch titles.
It was in Europe that Jari distinguished himself most for Ajax. In 1994/95 he scored six goals to help Ajax to victory in the Champions' League, and he was in even better form the following season, netting nine goals in ten games, including one in the final, which Ajax lost to Juventus on penalties.
In 1999 Jari finally ended his fabulous seven-year stint in Amsterdam by joining former coach Louis van Gaal - and several other Ajax old boys - at Barcelona. Things, however, didn't go as planned. Injury curtailed his appearances and when Van Gaal left last summer, to be replaced by Llorenc Serra Ferrer. Jari was effectively left in limbo. This season he has not played a single match for Barca - hence his keenness to leave Catalonia and join Liverpool, the club he has supported since childhood.
Though unwanted at the Nou Camp, Jari showed that his superb technical ability is still very much intact with an outstanding display for Finland in the goalless draw against England in Helsinki last October. The captain of his country, he has started each of Finland's five internationals this season and scored three goals, including Finland's first in the World Cup qualifying campaign, at home to Albania.
With a total of 18 international goals already to his name, he requires just two more to become his country's all-time top scorer - an impressive statistic considering that most of his international appearances have been made in midfield. No doubt he would love to break the record at his new home of Anfield when he leads Finland out against England again in the return World Cup game at the end of March.
It is difficult to predict exactly which role Jari will fill in Gerard Houllier's team. His favoured position is 'in the hole' behind the strikers, but he can also play up front. Naturally right-footed, he has excellent technique and vision, and, as his record shows, he also knows where the goal is. Jari is eligible to play in the Worthington Cup, the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup as well as the Premiership, and there is no doubt that his move to Anfield should be seen as firm evidence of Liverpool's growing ambition to be recognised once again as one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Place of Birth: Lahti, Finland
Date of Birth: 20/02/71
Height: 6'0" (1.81m), Weight: 12st 10lb (81kg)
Position: Forward
Previous clubs: Barcelona, Ajax
International : 67 caps and 18 goals (Finland)
Signed for Liverpool: Free transfer from Barcelona
Newby scored 3 goals for the reserves in the 1998-99 season, gaining his first team debut in Liverpool's 2nd Round 2nd Leg Worthington Cup game against Hull City on 21.9.99. His recent chance for playing in the first team is against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fourth round coming up as subsitute on the last few minutes of the game, which Liverpool lost 0:1 and out the the cup. Jon is noted for his versatility, he is able to play on either flank as he is
naturally two footed and has the pace to beat defenders. However his
prefered position is centre forward and it is from this position he has
scored the bulk of his 11 goals for the Liverpool Reserve side this
season which make him the Reserves leading scorer. In March 2000 he
joined First Division Crewe Alexandra on a month's loan in order to gain
some first team experience which will stand him in good stead for the
future.
Place of Birth: Warrington, England
Date of Birth: 28/11/78
Height: 6'0" (1.85m), Weight: 11st (70 kg)
Position: Forward
Previous clubs: Trainee
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