EX-FILES: DIDI HAMANN
Have you officially retired from football now?
I don’t think I’ll be playing here in England again because I’ve been out of the game for too long now.
But if something came up abroad I feel I could do another year, I’d like that.
So I’m not officially retired, but the longer I go without playing the more it looks like I am.
How are you finding life not being at a club?
It’s very different to what I’ve been used to for the last 10 or 15 years but it’s okay. Your playing days have to come to an end eventually.
At the moment I’m doing my coaching badges and enjoying it. Hopefully I can progress with that. I’ll keep focussing on it and might get back into full-time football soon.
You were always known as a fan of horse racing, is that still the case?
I watch the horses when I get the chance. Lately I haven’t been around to see much of it because I’ve been back in Munich with my kids.
Is life in England very different to Germany?
It is very, very different. I’ve been in England for a long time. I like living here and intend to stay in the UK. But if I get work somewhere else in the future I will go there.
Have you been back to Liverpool for a night out recently?
No, not for a few months but I am planning a trip. And I’m hoping to fit in a night out then.
The city’s changed a lot since I lived there, lots of new bars and restaurants have opened so I’m sure I’ll be checking out a few of them.
Speaking of nights out, Chris Kirkland once said you were the worst dancer at Liverpool. Is that true?
I’m not sure if he would have ever seen me dancing. But I always did it to get the lads going and give them something to laugh about.
Kirkland and Carra also listed you as their worst dressed team-mate. Can you comment on that?
(Laughs) I understand Carra saying it because he’s got a good sense of humour. But if Chris said it I’m slightly worried.
Kenny Dalglish was the manager who brought you to England in the summer of 1998. Did you ever get a chance to speak about Liverpool when you were together at Newcastle?
No, because Kenny was only there for the first four weeks of my time at the club.
After something like two games they brought in Ruud Gullit so we only spent a short time working together. I see him on a regular basis at the Academy now.
You left Newcastle yourself a year later. Had you wanted to get away for a while?
It wasn’t going the way I’d hoped it would. The manager who’d signed me was gone very quickly after I’d arrived and I’d already decided that if an offer came along after my first season I would definitely think about it.
When Gerard Houllier phoned me it was a no-brainer really. Immediately I felt I wanted to join and after a few weeks it was sorted out.
It must have been a major disappointment then to get injured just 20 minutes into your Liverpool debut against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of 1999/00?
I put it down to the fact that I’d only had two or three weeks of pre-season training.
I went into a tackle that I shouldn’t have gone into, or should have approached differently. It meant I was out for about eight or nine weeks which was an unfortunate start at a new club. There wasn’t much I could do about it apart from concentrate on getting fit again.
When you go to any new club you immediately want to prove that you can contribute something and justify the money the manager has spent on you. So it wasn’t ideal circumstances for me.
Even when I did get back I didn’t feel 100 per cent for a while. But the longer the season progressed the better my form got. By the end of it I was quite happy with how I was playing.
Did you immediately get the impression that Gerard Houllier was constructing a good team?
The previous season the lads had finished seventh or eight.
Then the club spent a lot of money to bring in me, Sami Hyypia, Vladimir Smicer, Stephane Henchoz, Titi Camara and Sander Westerveld.
There was already a lot of English talent there, young lads like Stevie, Michael Owen, Danny Murphy, and Carragher.
The foreign players who arrived were a bit older, it was a good mix and we were hopeful about the future. But we still didn’t know what was going to happen. We didn’t expect to set off on the journey we did over the next six or seven years.
As one of the older players did you feel it necessary to look after the younger lads?
Not really. I wasn’t a big talker in the dressing room. I never really pulled them to one side or told them things. It was more on the pitch or just after a game that I tried to help them, even then I never said too much there either.
If I did say something I meant it and did so for a reason. That was always my way of thinking. We played as a team and had to help each other as much as possible. But if somebody didn’t want to listen they didn’t.
We finished fourth in your first year. At the start of the following season did you think we could win the three cups?
No, not really. It was only two years after me and a lot of the players had arrived in 1999. To achieve success that quickly was a surprise.
The first season had ended in disappointment when we missed out on qualifying for the Champions League because we lost at Bradford on the last day.
Looking back now that probably helped us in the long term. Instead we went into the UEFA Cup and won that.
The team probably wasn’t ready to go all the way in the Champions League in 2000/01. Winning the UEFA Cup thought us a lot about European football and how to succeed in it.
Have you got a favourite trophy of the three you won that season?
Probably the UEFA Cup. You always want to succeed in Europe. Throughout Liverpool’s history they’d always done well in Europe and to win that UEFA Cup was special.
It was even more special for me because we did it in Germany after a 5-4 golden goal thriller.
To win the FA Cup in the last ten minutes, when Mike (Owen) nearly done it on his own for us, was great too.
We went from strength to strength in the last few months of that season.
People talk about Gary McAllister’s late goal at Everton being important, and it was. That gave us real momentum and allowed us to keep pushing on.
After that result we played really well and were able to beat every team. It was a brilliant season.
During the 2001 League Cup final penalty shootout win against Birmingham you missed your spot-kick. What happened?
We were one ahead in the shootout at the time so I was probably too relaxed about it. I wasn’t too happy afterwards. But we ended up winning so it was easier to accept missing then.
The really important ones against AC Milan and West Ham went in so that’s all that mattered.
Were you ever nervous about taking penalties?
Not really. When the manager asked who wanted to have one I always said yeah.
Then I picked my corner and stuck to it unless I spotted the goalkeeper moving early.
In 2005 we were all in the zone when it came to taking them. The pressure was off us because we knew we should have been dead and buried but got back in the game because Milan had taken their foot off the gas in the second half.
I was also helped by the fact that Serginho had missed the first one for them.
We all know what happened on the pitch during that eventful night, what about off the field afterwards?
It was a good night. But to be honest we were a bit shell-shocked by what had happened. We were sat in the dressing room wondering how we’d won it.
The whole thing felt surreal so there was no huge celebration. We just had a few drinks in the hotel.
It took us a couple of days to realise what we’d done. The reception back in the city was something else. I’ll never forget it and that was the real celebration.
You didn’t start in the Champions League final or the 2006 FA Cup final. Did that surprise you?
I was expecting to start the Champions League final. But I knew I would not be starting against West Ham.
When we’d played them at Anfield in the league I wasn’t part of the team so I knew I probably wouldn’t be involved.
Watching from the bench at the Millennium Stadium did you think the game was slipping away?
The way the match went for us was disappointing. We were behind for most of the afternoon.
Even when we got it back to 2-2 we quickly conceded a flukey goal from Konchesky when his cross ended up going in off the far post.
I came on with about 20 minutes of normal time to go. We really needed something special and Stevie came up with it by smashing one in.
We were exhausted in extra-time, particularly during the last ten minutes. I wouldn’t say we were hanging on but we didn’t want to give anything away again.
We always knew that if it went to penalties we were favourites. We’d beaten one of the best teams in Europe that way the previous year and knew we could do it again.
Pepe is a great keeper and has a magnificent penalty record. Thankfully he saved a few.
Throughout your time at Liverpool you had a reputation for not being the hardest worker in training. Was that deserved?
I did train. I knew what I needed and, in general, if I put in a good shift on the training ground once or twice a week that was enough for me. I’d then be in good shape for the weekend.
In pre-season I never missed a session and always did what I was asked to. I needed to have a good pre-season, that’s when I did all my fitness work.
Then during the rest of the year I could take the foot off the gas in training because I’d already done my important work in the summer. Maybe that’s where that reputation came from.
How did your managers react to that approach?
I probably lost more training games than I won but I never had a problem with managers about it.
Some coaches gave me a kick up the backside now and again but I knew when I needed to put my foot down or take it off.
You were only sent off three times during your seven years as a red. Was it difficult to stay so disciplined playing in the centre of the park?
Three times, but my red against Arsenal was rescinded so it was really only twice. So that’s not a bad record.
I usually controlled myself pretty well on the pitch, even if I did frustrated now and again.
Against Sunderland Steve Bennett was the ref and he didn’t hesitate to show me a red card after a tackle on Bernt Hass.
Getting sent off in Valencia was a bit daft really. The ref was German; he had no choice but to give me two yellow cards for stupid things. Gerard Houllier wasn’t happy afterwards.
The dismissal against Sunderland in 2001 meant the team had to be reshuffled and Gary McAllister replaced Robbie Fowler at half time. It turned out to be the last game of Robbie’s first spell at the club. Did he ever mention it to you?
(Laughs) No, I don’t think he ever has. I didn’t know anything about it until now so he obviously hasn’t spoken to me about it.
How did Gerard Houllier and Rafa differ?
Every manager has their own way of doing things but I enjoyed working with both.
I learned a lot from each of them and they had good people around with them. I think that is very important if you are a manager.
You left the club in the summer of 2006. Was it a tough decision?
Yes, I thought about it a lot. We’d won the Champions League in the first year under Rafa and then the FA Cup, so we were moving in the right direction. I felt I had some more years left and wanted to be part of that. I was only 32.
Ideally I would have liked to finish my career at Liverpool.
But I felt I hadn’t been involved in enough games in my final season, even though when I looked at the stats I was surprised to see I’d actually played 30 odd times. However, if you took another 10 or 15 games out of that tally I would not have been happy and that is probably what would have happened.
The manager told me he wanted to bring in another midfielder. He wanted to sign a right-winger too, which would have meant Stevie playing more often in the middle during 2006/07.
Having thought about all that I decided that I didn’t want to be just a part-time player. So, as hard as it was, I decided to leave and go to Man City. I spent two good years there.
You scored 11 times in your 283 games for the club. Have you got a favourite from those?
When I got the chance I liked to have a crack. The one against Portsmouth at home was probably my best.
Mike played it back from the corner of the box and from about 20 yards I volleyed it. When I made contact I thought it was going in. Shaka Hislop didn’t even move. It got BBC goal of the season.
I did get some good ones but didn’t score enough. A few more would have been nice but the way the team shaped up at the time I didn’t get forward that much.
You got a terrific reception at Anfield when you came back with Manchester City. Did you expect that?
My only previous experience of being a visiting player was with Newcastle when I got sent off after picking up two bookings in twenty minutes. Thankfully going there with Man City was more enjoyable, it was like going home really.
I’d never had a chance to say goodbye or thank the fans for the support they’d given me so it was great to come back again. The reception from the Kop as I warmed up was great. It was good to know I helped to make them happy, that’s all that mattered.
How do the fans react whenever you meet them now?
Usually it’s pretty good. They’re very knowledgeable and grateful supporters, unique in the world I think. My heart is still with them.
They always mention Istanbul and we have a chat about that, which is great. They tell me how they felt or how they celebrated. It’s nice to know they had a fantastic night, which they’ll never forget.
Have you any regrets from your time as a footballer?
Not really. It would have been nice to have got the title with Liverpool. That would have meant we’d won everything.
We came close when we finished with 80 points in 2002 but Arsenal were just too good that year. Apart from that we never really challenged for it. I’m still happy with what I achieved there though.
In the late 90s the club wasn’t really going anywhere. But the appointment of Gerard Houllier changed that and we had success. I’ve still got some really good friends at the club.
What are your plans for the future?
If possible, I’d like to be a manager one day. There are no certainties in football; we’ll have to see what happens over the next few weeks, months and years. Hopefully I’ll be back, as Arnie said.
It would be a dream come true to manage Liverpool. But I’m sure it’s the dream of many people. You have to work hard and then who knows what might happen.
PANEL PIECES
1. Gerard Houllier’s best signing. Was it you or Sami?
Gerard paid more money for me than for Sami so I’m more than happy to give that tag to Sami. He was fantastic.
When he first arrived he was an unknown to everyone, including the other players. We didn’t really know what to expect from him.
But the way he played was unbelievable. I can’t remember him having too many bad games.
The partnership him and Henchoz formed was probably the best around for four or five years. Having those two behind me made my job very easy.
2. Just how good is Steven Gerrard?
It’s difficult to compare but he’s definitely one of the top players in the world. Ronaldo is obviously up there and Rooney is playing as well as ever too. But Stevie is one of the best around.
When I first arrived he was pretty raw but you could see the potential he had.
The way he improved year after year after year was unbelievable. He always worked on bringing something new to his game. He’s got great ability. But to continuously improve the way he did and not get carried away is something special.
This interview appeared in LFC Weekly. LFC Weekly is out every Tuesday in all good newsagents or at www.merseyshop.com
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