After an acclaimed decade at Anfield the quiet Finn's finale comes against Tottenham on Sunday
Liverpool will mourn not just the passing of another league title on Sunday but a symbol of their recovery, and one must return to the Liverpool that Sami Hyypia joined in May 1999 to understand the depth of gratitude that will follow the Finn out of Anfield when he joins Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
Europe for Liverpool a decade ago was not permanent residence in the latter stages of the Champions League, it was occasional qualification and, in 1998-99, exiting the third round of the Uefa Cup to Celta Vigo. The Premier League was not a story of progress and a near-miss: they finished seventh, behind Leeds, West Ham and Aston Villa and two points ahead of Derby County. Their fans delighted in Rigobert Song's early form and Gérard Houllier had yet to rid the dressing room of the indiscipline he believed was a cancer on the club.
A few days after that season closed with a 3–0 victory over Wimbledon, it was announced that an unknown defender from Willem II would be signing for £2.6m. A new chapter began with Sami Tuomas Hyypia at its heart. At Anfield on Sunday, following one European Cup, one Uefa Cup, two FA Cups, two League Cups, two European Super Cups and his 464th appearance for Liverpool, it ends.
The private man who refuses to dwell on the past is not looking forward to it. "I won't like being the center of attention, not at all. But in this case I have no choice," admits the 35-year-old, who may retake the captain's armband for the visit of Tottenham. "It is not like I am retiring. I have a new challenge ahead of me but it will be very emotional and it is better not to think about that too much before the game."
Hyypia's reluctance to look back explains his reasoning for moving on. After 10 years' outstanding service the model professional was offered a role in Rafael Benítez's coaching team, possibly a testimonial with it, and continued involvement from the sidelines. He rejected it, and several other deals from Premier League clubs, to extend his playing career for two more years in Germany.
"I would have had to move house wherever I went so I thought, why not a different country and a different league?" he explains. "Plus Leverkusen really wanted me. For 10 years I have played in the same league, in the same stadiums and against the same clubs mainly, so now I have a chance to go to Germany which is a good league.
"I still feel I have something to give to the game. I come to training every day and work my bollocks off to play, not to sit at home and watch the games on the telly. It is very hard when I don't play and this season has been very hard mentally. I seriously thought about hanging my boots up at the end of this season but everyone I know who has retired, such as Gary McAllister, has told me I should play as long as I can. I have shown when I have played this season that I can still play to a high level."
Liverpool have ultimately paid £5,603 per game for their longest-serving foreign import since Bruce Grobbelaar, Sunday included, although there is no figure that gauges the influence Hyypia has had on their dressing room since 1999.
"I didn't have any expectations or goals when I joined, I just thought I would work hard and see what happens," admits the man who, in the absence of the injured Jamie Redknapp, captained Liverpool to the cup treble of 2001. "With Houllier there was more improvement in our league positions. With Benítez the highlight was obviously the Champions League but we have been in the same position in the league more or less and then a big improvement this season. He is more of a perfectionist than Houllier in terms of the little details that might be crucial to a result, and he will improve.
"When I compare the side we had in 1999 and the one we have now, there is a massive difference but the game has gone forward as well. The players are much quicker and stronger now. I'm not saying we had a bad team in '99, but the game has changed and it is more demanding now."
Istanbul and Michael Owen's pickpocketing of Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup final are Hyypia's Liverpool highlights, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry the best players he has performed with and against. His medal collection is complete at Anfield with the notable exception of the Premier League, but even that gaping hole does not consume Hyypia with regret.
"I am sad to miss that medal but I don't think I have anything to regret," he insists. "Next season it might happen but I only play 10 games and I wouldn't get a medal anyway. That played a part in my decision to leave. When I first came here I couldn't have believed I would be here for 10 years and win the things I have won. I am sadder for the fans that Liverpool haven't won the Premier League than for myself. I will keep my fingers crossed that the fans get what they deserve."
© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 5/21/2009
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