Jari Litmanen was part of Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool side that won a cup treble and five trophies in one year, but his arrival took some work — four years worth.
In a recent interview with James Pearce, the Finnish legend revealed all on dealing with long COVID, facing Liverpool in 2024, and how he ended up at Anfield way back when.
Litmanen spent just 18 months at the club at the turn of the century and they weren’t his best, but he’s still one of the most technically gifted players to wear the red shirt.
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Yan Diomande gestures to teammates during RB Leipzig's Bundesliga match with VfL Wolfsburg at the Red Bull Arena. Bradley Barcola looks down during PSG's FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Real Madrid in New Jersey. Nico Williams pictured in action for Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League semi-final clash versus Manchester United. Desire Doue during Paris Saint-Germain v Lille OSC - Ligue 1 McDonald's.
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He went into detail on Liverpool’s lengthy pursuit of him, and why he eventually said yes to the move.
Jari Litmanen’s long journey to Liverpool
Litmanen rose to stardom at Ajax. He was part of the famous 1995 Champions League-winning side alongside Edwin van der Sar, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert.
Two years later, Liverpool made their first approach.
As Litmanen recalls in The Athletic: “Roy Evans came to visit me at a hotel in Amsterdam in 1997. I was seriously thinking about it. But Ajax had been so good to me that I didn’t want to force a transfer.
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“I told Roy that if they agreed a deal with Ajax, I’d come, but I wouldn’t force it. They offered some money, but Ajax said I wasn’t for sale.”
- "Ajax Amsterdam"
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They renewed their interest two years later, when it became clear that Litmanen was going to leave.
He continues: “When I was leaving Ajax, it came down to three options — Barcelona, Liverpool or Bayern Munich. I decided to go to Barca because of the stadium, the culture, the language. Plus, Van Gaal was manager there and some of my former team-mates.”
He spent two seasons at the Camp Nou, but fell out of the picture and became available on the market again. This time, he wanted Liverpool.
“The president changed and after Van Gaal left, the new manager said: ‘I’ve chosen Rivaldo, so you don’t have a position in this team’. I thought for a few months and then my mind was clear — now I am ready for Liverpool. We had contact again with Gerard Houllier and he was excited, so we went for it.”
A long and arduous process, but one that paid off in the form of silverware.
Liverpool’s trophy spree after Litmanen’s arrival
It’s not like Litmanen was the main man at Liverpool at any point during his 18-month stint. He was, however, part of the squad that won five trophies in six months, including a cup treble.
Liverpool brought the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup (now Europa League), the Super Cup and the Community Shield, with Michael Owen winning the Ballon d’Or.
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Often labelled a luxury player, Litmanen wasn’t used as much as Owen or Emile Heskey. He was injured for three of the finals.
But winning takes a whole team, and the Finnish icon played his part.
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