A LOOK BACK: A former Liverpool star opened up about rejecting another club's interest a year before joining the Reds
WIGAN, ENGLAND - December 2: Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt of Liverpool Celebtate with team mates during the Premier League match between Wigan Athletic and Liverpool at Jjb Stadium on December 2, 2006 in Wigan, England. (Photo by Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt celebrate with their Liverpool team-mates in 2006(Image: Sportsphoto/Allstar, Getty Images)
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Dirk Kuyt will always be remembered as a Liverpool favourite but there's an alternate timeline where the Dutch star he could have ended up at Tottenham. The ex-Feyenoord striker netted 51 Premier League goals for the Reds, including an unforgettable hat-trick against Manchester United, though his career path could have taken a completely different turn.
Kuyt's impressive scoring record in the Eredivisie with both Feyenoord and Utrecht caught the attention of English clubs in 2005. Spurs were among those showing interest, but the timing wasn't right.
He remained in Rotterdam, bagging another 22 league goals during the 2005/06 campaign to finish second in the scoring charts behind compatriot Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The following summer, Liverpool followed Spurs in looking to bring the striker to England - effectively ending the north London club's hopes.
"A year before I went to Liverpool, I had the opportunity to go to Spurs, where the manager, Martin Jol, and chairman, Daniel Levy, expressed an interest," Kuyt told FourFourTwo in 2017. "But it was on transfer deadline day, and at that time I didn't want to move.
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"Later on, Liverpool became the number one club who wanted me, although all the negotiations took a while. Other clubs showed an interest too, such as Atletico Madrid.
"That's also a nice club, but once I'd heard of Liverpool's interest, it was the only club I wanted to go to. From a young age, I'd always liked Liverpool."
The timing of Kuyt's remarks indicates Spurs moved for Grzegorz Rasiak following the disappointment of missing out on the Dutchman. Rasiak arrived on deadline day in August 2005, but his stay proved brief.
By the following summer, another striking target had emerged on the radar. Dimitar Berbatov joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen for £10.9million - slightly more than the £9m Liverpool invested in Kuyt - and it's fair to say both English sides benefited from their respective acquisitions.
Dirk Kuyt celebrating his goal in the 2012 League Cup final
Kuyt celebrating his goal in the 2012 League Cup final(Image: Liverpool Echo/Colin Lane)
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Kuyt secured just one piece of silverware during his Anfield career, netting in the final as they defeated Cardiff to claim the League Cup in 2012. Nevertheless, he departed as a popular figure and has made appearances in Liverpool Legends fixtures following his retirement from the professional game.
The former forward, now 45, has transitioned into coaching since hanging up his boots. He took over as manager of Dutch second-tier outfit Doordrecht in 2025, though he has previously voiced ambitions to work alongside former teammate Steven Gerrard if the ex-captain ever takes over as manager at Anfield.
"I have a desire to be manager soon and I am looking at options. But there are exceptions for choosing a path as an assistant manager and being alongside Stevie would be one of them," Kuyt said in 2021, as reported at the time by The Mirror.
"If he wanted me to be his assistant, I'd like that a lot. In principle, I see myself going on to work as a head coach, but, like I say, there are always exceptions."