Forever 4！Sami Hyypia (4)

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STEVIE BIDS FAREWELL TO ’COLOSSUS’ Liverpoolfc.tv
	Steven Gerrard has described Sami Hyypia as a ’colossus’ as the Finnish defender prepares to bid farewell to Liverpool on Sunday.
The 35-year-old brings his 10-year association with the Reds to an end this summer after agreeing to join Bayer Leverkusen. Asked how he assessed Hyypia’s decade with the club, Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.tv: “It’s difficult to put into words. He’s been fantastic for us – a colossus. “He certainly deserves legendary status and he’s definitely one of the best players I’ve ever played with. They’re the biggest compliments I can pay Sami.” Hyypia is expected to be given an emotional send-off by the Kop as Liverpool wrap up their 2008-09 season against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. Another who will miss the big Finn is Dirk Kuyt, who told us Hyypia was one of the best professionals he had come across. “For me he’s a top professional, one of the best I have ever met,” said Kuyt. “Most importantly for me, Sami is also a good human being and has a good personality. I will miss him but I’m sure he will be in touch with us and Liverpool. “It’s a great achievement to play 10 years at a special club like Liverpool, especially for a foreign player, and I have a lot of respect for him. “It’s a shame he is leaving the club but things happen like this in football.” Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish believes Hyypia’s departure will be a big loss for Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool. Dalglish tried to sign the centre-back in the mid-1990s during his reign as Newcastle boss, but it was Gerard Houllier who eventually captured his signature in 1999. Hyypia went on to play a pivotal part in the 2001 treble and Istanbul en route to becoming a true Liverpool legend. “He’s a role model, an outstanding professional and will be a big loss. He’s never, ever let Liverpool down,” Dalglish told LFC Magazine. “I was in charge of Newcastle when Sami was playing in Holland for Willem II and I travelled across to watch him and a left-winger who was playing in the same team. “He was part of a cracking team in Holland and you could see then that he was going to be a quality addition to any team that was able to bring him to England. “Liverpool succeeded where we failed at Newcastle and he’s gone on to be a terrific servant to the football club. “He’s conducted himself superbly through good times and bad times at Liverpool, the measure of the man being when he lost the captaincy to Steven Gerrard. “Lesser men would have chucked it and left. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Steven and between them and other outstanding players they’ve driven us on to some great days and nights.” Hyypia now heads to the Bundesliga, where even at the age of 35 Dalglish believes he has a lot to offer. “Leverkusen are going to be getting a player who, despite arriving at the twilight of his long and successful career, remains an outstanding centre-back,” said the former Kop boss. “He may not have the pace of old but, when you read the game as well as he does, you don’t need to be electric.”

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CARRA: IT’LL BE STRANGE WITHOUT SAMI James Carroll
	Jamie Carragher admits Sami Hyypia’s departure from Liverpool will take some getting used to.
Earlier this week, the Finnish defender agreed to join Bayern Leverkusen on a two-year deal when his Reds contract expires at the end of the season. His defensive compatriot Carragher concedes it will be strange not having Hyypia around Melwood anymore. “It will be strange because although you come back to pre-season every year knowing that you will probably see one or two new faces and a couple will have left you just expect to see Sami there,” said Carragher. “He’s usually at the front when we’re running because he’s such a good trainer and such a good professional so it will take some getting used to. “I suppose in a way we’ve all known that this day wouldn’t be too far off because Sami hasn’t been playing as much as he would like and he still feels that he has a lot to offer in terms of playing regular first team football. “But it still hit me when I heard that he will be leaving in the summer because, like I said, he’s just someone who you always expect to be around.” Carragher and Hyypia have played over 150 games together in the centre of Liverpool’s defence over the years and the Reds vice-captain believes his teammate is up there with the very best centre-backs to have played for the club. “I don’t think you could use any other word for Sami other than legend,” he said. “If you look at the standard of his performances ever since he first came to the club, his level of consistency and his performances then you’d have to say he is up there with the very best centre backs we’ve ever had. “The names that spring to mind straight away are the likes of Ron Yeats, Alan Hansen, Emlyn Hughes and Mark Lawrenson and for me Sami is up there with them. “And when you take into account his transfer fee you’d have to say that pound for pound he is one of the club’s greatest ever signings.” “I’ve always said the fact that Sami plays in defence has meant that he hasn’t always been given the credit he deserves,” continued Carragher. “The likes of Zola, Henry and Bergkamp spring to mind straight away and quite rightly so because everyone knows how good they were when they played in this country. “But for me Sami has to be mentioned alongside them because he has performed so well at the top level for such a long time. “He is definitely one of the best foreign players the Premier League has seen and he is arguably Liverpool’s best ever foreign signing, although I’m sure Fernando Torres will make a claim for that title in the years to come.” While Hyypia pinpoints Istanbul as his greatest European night in a Liverpool jersey, Carragher offers an interesting alternative. “It’s not easy because Sami’s been so consistent over the years,” pondered our number 23. “I think if I was pressed to choose one game though it would be the second leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final against Barcelona in 2001. “Rivaldo was Barcelona’s big threat back then and he was rightly regarded as one of the best in the world so we knew we would have to play well to be able to deal with him. “Sami was outstanding. For me that was the time when he was probably at his very best and I can remember him making one really big tackle on Rivaldo and that pretty much summed up his whole performance. “When you look back at that season Sami was probably one of the big driving forces behind us winning the treble. “Istanbul is obviously another highlight though and I suppose it’s a bit sad that when Sami goes there will only be two or three of us left at the club who were involved that night. “That’s football though and it just goes to show how quickly squads and teams change these days.” Carragher is confident Hyypia’s move to Bayer Leverkusen will prove to be a big success for the 35-year-old. He said: “I’m not just saying this because he’s my mate but I’m convinced that Sami will go to Germany and establish himself as one of the best defenders in their league. “That’s just the way he is. He’s been a great example to me and to everyone else at Liverpool and you can’t help but admire his professionalism. “I know the manager has said he is welcome to come back here to join the backroom staff and that shows just how highly regarded he is. “He has been part of the furniture here and it will be a bit strange when he’s gone.”

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AGGER: WHY I’LL MISS SAMI SO MUCH Louise Goulding 24 May 2009
	Daniel Agger could be forgiven if he felt glad to see the back of Sami Hyypia – but the Danish international is far from pleased.
Agger may have had to settle for a place on the bench on occasions due to the evergreen form of our Finnish centre-half, but Liverpool’s No.5 is gutted to be losing a man who has helped his career so much. “I’ll be very sad to see Sami Hyypia leave Liverpool. For me he will be a big loss personally, and also a tremendous loss for the football club,” Agger told LFC Magazine. “Of all the players and people at Liverpool who helped me settle into a new team in a new country and a new league championship, he was by far the most important presence. He helped me the most. “I owe him a lot. He’s really great to talk to. As a young defender you have questions and he’s so calm and so happy to help wherever he can. He is a natural leader, in a different way maybe to some of the other leaders in our team. But he has been just as important over the course of my time here at the club.” Hyypia could play his last game for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield today and Agger believes the Reds’ loss will be Bayer Leverkusen’s gain. Agger said: “He’s been great for this club for 10 years. Now he will go on to be a great player for Bayer Leverkusen. They are signing one of the best defenders still in England in my opinion. “People like to talk about maybe he doesn’t have as much pace as he once did but when you have the intelligence that Sami has you do not need to be quick because there are always ways of compensating for that.” Agger is confident his mentor can continue playing at the high standards he has set himself and impress the German Bundesliga with his ability. He added: “I wish him success in Germany, but I don’t think he needs it. Player like Sami are successful wherever they go.”