Hyypiä couldn't be happier
Friday, 17 December 2004
By Adrian Harte
The big Finn is ready to sign another contract at Anfield
He has been a totemic presence for Liverpool FC in recent seasons. He has been there through the ups and the downs. Physically imposing, he has worn the captain's armband with pride this season and now he is ready to commit the rest of his career to Liverpool. No, not club captain Steven Gerrard, the midfield magician courted by Chelsea FC, but defender Sami Hyypiä - stand-in skipper in Gerrard's absence this term.
Committed defender
The giant Finn was one of Gérard Houllier's first signings at Liverpool in 1999 and is hoping to end his career at Anfield. Hyypiä has played almost 300 first-team games since arriving from Dutch side Willem II and, with 18 months running on his contract, he is ready to commit once more to the Liverpool cause. "I want to stay here if the club wants me to, I have been very happy here, " he said. It was a great win and it was great to go through
'Massive win'
Hyypiä, who captained Liverpool in their 2001 treble-winning season, spoke to uefa.com after last week's dramatic UEFA Champions League victory over Olympiacos CFP as Liverpool recovered from 1-0 down to win 3-1 and reach the last 16 of a competition they have won four times. He told uefa.com: "It was a massive win. The atmosphere was great - it reminded me of the match against [AS] Roma a few years ago. It was a great win and it was great to go through."
Belief undiminished
Liverpool looked down and out at half-time and needed to score three times without reply in the second half to advance but Hyypiä said that the team always believed that they could get the result. "Even at half-time I still thought that we could get through," he said. "You have to believe or otherwise you are not going to achieve anything. So everyone believed that we were capable of doing it and in the end it paid off."
Young blood
Hyypiä was the oldest Liverpool player in action on that momentous Matchday 6 night and he welcomed the arrival of a new generation of Liverpool stars in Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, who both scored after coming off the bench. "They had their chance against Olympiacos and I'm very happy for them and they helped the team to win," said the Finn. "I think you will see a lot more of them in the future."
New partner
Hyypiä spent much of his early Liverpool career playing alongside Stéphane Henchoz in one of the most revered central defensive partnerships in Europe. However, with the Swiss international out of favour, Hyypiä has had to adjust to playing alongside Jamie Carragher this season.
Good mentor
And Carragher has paid tribute to Hyypiä for easing his transition from full-back to central defender. "I am enjoying playing at centre-back this season, especially as it is alongside Sami," said the Liverpudlian. "I'm learning from his experience. He has been captain of his club and is captain of his country, so it is ideal to pick up tips from him."
'Very consistent'
That respect is mutual. "Jamie is a very good player," Hyypiä told uefa.com. "He is very consistent and you always know what kind of performance you are going to get from him. He is very reliable. Every Liverpool player can learn from him because of his commitment."
Central character
The same sentiments could be applied to Hyypiä himself, and as Rafael Benítez's Anfield revolution continues, the big Finn remains as pivotal to Liverpool's hopes as ever.
