Sami Hyypia was signed from Willem II as a key player in Gerard Houllier's defensive plans. He is one of the players expected to spark the Liverpool revival. Houllier found him to be the right man for the job after watching him play for Finland against the Germans. Although he had his head bandaged after an earlier collision, he battled on to mark Oliver Bierhoff out of the game. Aside from that, he had captained Willem II to a second place finish in the Dutch league. Undoubtedly, he will be an asset to the club if he performs to his usual standards. Hyypia is prepared to face his new challenge and feels he can make a contribution: "I'm strong and good in the air, and if that's where Liverpool need to improve, then I'm sure I'm the man." New keeper Sander Westerveld described Hyypia as "a top-class player"...and "an English type defender, strong, fast and good in the air."

This season, Hyypia has been one of the most consistent performers and along with Stephane Henchoz, the giant Finn has played a big part in improving the team's defensive record. His good performances also saw him clinch November's Carling Player of the Month award.