12. Sami Hyypia 3.Christian Ziege 14.Vegard Heggem 2.Stephane Henchoz 29.Stephen Wright
30.Djimi Traore 31.Frode Kippe 4.Gregory Vignal 6.Markus Babbel
23.Jamie Carragher
Sami Hyypia started his league career on April 26th 1992 with MyPa
Anjalankoski. He played 96 league matches for them,
winning the Finnish Cup in 1992, the Most Promising Player award in 1991
and playing his first full international against Tunisia
in Tunis on November 7th 1992, before being transferred to Dutch side
Willem II in 1995. He was also voted best player in
the U-21 National Team in 1994 and 1995.
In the Summer of 1998 he was linked with a move to PSV Eindhoven as a
replacement for Jaap Stam, and he was watched
by, amongst others, Auxerre's coach Guy Roux. However, he remained in
Tilburg where his solid and uncomprimising
performances as captain helped guide underdogs Willem II to a Champions
League place in 1999, but he chose instead to join
Liverpool, expressing his belief that they would shortly be challenging
once more for European honours.
Sami remained a firm crowd favourite in Tilburg, despite a strong
feeling that a player of his ability was sure to move on sooner
rather than later. Liverpool spotted Sami rather fortuitously whilst
scouting German players in a match against Finland. Instead
Gerard Houllier and Karlheinz Riedle came away much impressed by the
Finnish centre-half who had done so much to hold
Germany to a 0-0 draw, despite a bleeding forehead swathed in bandages.
His performance was also much praised in the
German press. Hopefully, the ?.6m that manager Gerard Houllier spent on Hyppia will
prove to be the bargain
of the next millenium.
He is a big, commanding centre-back who is great in the air -
something that Liverpool had been
lacking for at least three years. His composure and technique on the
ball are impressive for
such a big man.
Position: Right Defender
Place of Birth: Trondheim, Finland
Date of Birth: 7/10/1973
Height: 6'3" (1.92m), Weight: 13st 5lb (85kg)
Former clubs: Kumu, MyPa Anjalankoski, Willem II (Holland)
Signed for Liverpool: 18/05/99
Debut for Liverpool: -
International caps: 23 (Finland)
It was a long time in coming, but Christian Ziege is finally a Liverpool player after the protracted transfer finally ended when the German international signed on the dotted line at Anfield in a ?.5m deal.
Christian is certain to add craft and ingenuity to the left-hand side of Liverpool's defence as well as posing a goal threat at free-kicks. Such is his versatility that he can play anywhere on that side of the field, although the role he has filled for most of his career has been left wing-back.
Born in Berlin, Christian actually started out his career as a goalkeeper but spells with local clubs Sudstern 08, TSV Rudow and Hertha Zehlendorf transformed into an outfield player and he made such a positive impression in his early years that he was eventually lured down south to join the mighty Bayern Munich while still only 18.
Christian represented Germany at every level as a youth and was even captain to the U-21 team. Initially hailed as the "new Andy Brehme", he made his senior debut for Germany against Brazil in the 1993 US Cup but, sadly, he was to miss the return trip to America for the World Cup a year later through injury.
Christian did, however, play a starring role for the triumphant Germany side at Euro '96, playing every minute of every game and scoring the team's first goal in their opening game against the Czech Republic. 1996 was also a good year for him at Bayern as he helped the club to victory in the UEFA Cup.
After winning his second Bundesliga title with Bayern in 1996/97, Christian decided to move to Italy and join AC Milan. It did not, however, turn out to be the dream move he had hoped for. Christian made little headway in the star-studded side, and although he appeared for Germany at the 1998 World Cup in France, it was not in the leading role he had become accustomed to.
Christian's second season at Milan resulted in an Italian championship triumph, but his contribution was only minimal and he was delighted to be given the opportunity to move to England when Middlesbrough splashed out ?m on him. He revived his career on Teesside and duly returned to the national side, scoring a brilliant hat-trick against Northern Ireland in his second game back and going on to win his 50th cap in Germany's final warm-up match before Euro 2000, where he played the first two games against Romania and England.
Place of Birth: Berlin, Germany
Date of Birth: 1/2/72
Height: 6'1" (1.86m), Weight: 12st 4lb (78kg)
Position: Defender
Former clubs: Middlesbrough, A.C.Milan, Bayern Munich
Signed for Liverpool: August 2000 for 5,500,000 pounds
International : Germany 52 caps
Heggem became a Liverpool player just a week after his 23rd birthday.
A versatile player, who
was cited as a forward in the Champions' League literature of 1996/97.
He prefers to play on
the right side of midfield but is equally at home in the right back
position. Started the 1998/99
season as first choice right back and has impressed everyone with his
surging runs and tireless
effort for the Reds cause.
Place of Birth: Norway
Date of Birth: 13/7/75
Height: 5' 10", Weight: 12st 0lb
Position: Defender
Former clubs: Rennebu, Orkdal, Rosenborg
Signed for Liverpool: 21/7/98 from Rosenborg for ?,500,000
International : Norway, ? Full caps
French youngster Gregory Vignal made his Reds debut in the FA Cup 3rd Round win over Rotherham United at Anfield on January 6th, as a 77th minute substitute for Vladimir Smicer. The left back arrived in at Anfield earlier this season from Montpellier with Gerard Houllier claiming he is ‘a prospect for the future.?
Vignal, who made his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt for the reserves against Manchester United in October 2000, had spent the best part of 10 years with Montpellier.
Despite not picking up silverware with his French club, Vignal enjoyed international success during the summer when he helped the French under-18 team to victory in the European Youth Championships in Germany. Vignal played in all but one of the matches, alerting Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier to his potential along the way.
Next summer Vignal, 19, will head off to Argentina with the French under-20 squad looking to add a world youth championship medal to his collection.
He says: “I have a lot of ambitions in football but time is on my side and I am looking forward to what will hopefully be a successful career.
“I find it incredible that I am only 19 and yet am playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. As soon as I heard that Liverpool were interested in signing me it was an easy decision to make. It was a wrench to leave Montpellier but I have to think about my career and this is a fantastic move for me.
“I like English football and I see no reason why I can’t do well here. The French speaking players at Liverpool have told me that the game here is very fast and physical but I am confident I can come to terms with it. It also helps the manager and Patrice Bergues are both French as well. I will learn the language as soon as possible because that will make things easier for me but at the moment I am really enjoying myself and I am delighted to be here.?
Place of Birth: Montpellier, France
Date of Birth: 19.07.81
Height: 5'11.5", Weight: 12st 3lb
Position: defender
Former clubs: Montpellier
Signed for Liverpool: 2000
International : European Championship winner with French Under-18 team
An unspectacular but useful defender, he is set to end his second spell at Bayern when he joins Liverpool after Euro 2000. Was in the Germany side that beat the Czech Republic in the 1996 European Championship final at Wembley and also in the Bayern side wich lost the European Cup final to Manchester United
Place of Birth: Munich, Germany
Date of Birth: 08/09/1972
Height: 1.90m, Weight: 81kg
Position: Left defender/winger
Former clubs: TSV Gilching-Argelsried, Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich
Signed for Liverpool: May 2000(free transfer)
Debut for Liverpool: -
International :48 caps and 1 goal
Carragher made his first appearance of the 1996/97 season as a late
substitute for Stig Inge
Bjornebye in Liverpool's ill-fated Coca Cola Cup tie at Middlesbrough.
A tough-tackling utility
player, he scored against Aston Villa on his first start for the Reds.
Started the 97/98 season in the first team but a cruel injury knocked
him back down the pecking
order.
Became Liverpool's first choice centre-back at the start of the
1998/99 season and was Mr
Consistency at the heart of a shaky defence.
and the former Liverpool and England defensive legend, Phil Thompson, has stated that he thinks the club has unearthed a real gem
in this youngster. Strong and powerful, and a good
passer of the ball, those are the qualities needed to
succeed as a defender at Anfield and Jamie fits the
bill.
Date of Birth: 28/1/78
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Signed for Liverpool: from Liverpool youth
Debut for Liverpool: Manchester City (October 23, 1993)
International : England - Youth, U-19,U-21
Signed from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of ?.5m in the summer of 1999,
Henchoz is a tidy
central defender blessed with an astute reading of the game.
As comfortable in the air is he is along the ground, Henchoz turned
down an opportunity to join
Manchester United to link up with Blackburn in the 1997 close season.
The central defender became Roy Hodsgon's first Ewood Park signing
when he arrived for ?
million from SV Hamburg, where he was viewed as one of the best
defenders in the Bundesliga.
It was actually Hodgson who gave Henchoz his first international cap
for Switzerland. He has
stood out in Rovers' defence, and was one of their more consistent
performers despite being
unable to halt their slide into the Nationwide First Division at the
end of the 1998/99 season.
The powerful 24-year-old Blackburn Rovers centre-back has spurned interest from a host of British and foreign clubs,
Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich were believed to be chasing the former
Neuchatel and Hamburg player who has more than 30 caps for his country. Houllier rekindled his interest in Henchoz after two unsuccessful attempts to sign the Bayern Munich defender Markus Babbel.
Position: Defender
Place of Birth: Switzerland
Date of Birth: 7/9/74
Height: 6'2" , Weight: 12.10
Former clubs: SV Hamburg, Blackburn Rovers
Signed for Liverpool: 04/06/99
International caps: 30+(Swiss)
The most promising defender
among Liverpool's emerging home-grown talent. After a couple of appearances on the bench during the 1998-99 season
Stephen finally got his First Team debut in a post-season friendly
against Sunderland on 18th May 1999.
At the beginning of the 1999/2000 season he was loaned to Crewe in
order to gain valuable competitive First Team experience -
unfortunately he sustained ankle ligament damage in a match against
Norwich (in a tackle with Paul Dalglish) which seemed to cut short his
time there. However, after returning to Melwood for treatment he
resumed his period with Crewe which was extended until the end of the
1999/2000 season.
Position: Defender
Place of Birth: Liverpool
Date of Birth: 08/02/80
Height: 1.85m , Weight: 80kg
Former clubs: Join as Trainee
Signed for Liverpool: ?
International caps: England Under 21
Reckoned by many to be the
most promising French defender of his
generation. Gerard Houllier beat off competition from AC milan, Paris saint Germain
and Lazio to sign Djimi. When he bought Traore on February 17th for
?50,000 he said that he wasn't the answer for his instant defensive
problems but a player with great potential who he believes will be a big
player for the future.
Djimi made his first team full debut against Hull City in the Worthington
Cup Second Round First Leg match on 14.9.99.
Position: Defender
Place of Birth: Laval (France)
Date of Birth: ? 1980
Height: 6'3", Weight: 80kg
Former clubs: Laval (France)
Signed for Liverpool: ?
International caps: France U-18
As a 21 year old he completed his ?00,000 move from Lillestrom after
spending some time training at Melwood, a fee possibly rising to ?
million depending on appearances. He looked impressive for the reserves
in the latter part of the 1998-99 season, and made it onto the First
Team bench for the friendly against Sunderland on 18th May, finally
winning his full debut when coming on as a sub in Liverpool's
Worthington Cup 2nd Round 2nd Leg game against Hull City on 21.9.99.
In December 1999 he went on loan to Stoke City in order to gain first
team experience. In his third month on loan to the second division outfit
- who then lay just outside the play off places on goal difference - and
where he had established himself as a key member of their back four. When Kippe returned to Anfield did it on the back of helping Stoke to
the verges of the play off places in the second division. He also helped them to the final of the Autoglass Trophy, but was
unable to extend his loan period with Stoke any further.
Position: Defender
Place of Birth: Oslo, Norway
Date of Birth: 17/01/78
Height: 6'5", Weight: 90kg
Former clubs: Lillestrom (Norway)
Signed for Liverpool: ?
International caps: Norway U-21
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23. Jamie Carragher
Place of Birth: Bootle
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