NewsLiverpool's Greatest - No.74: Dietmar Hamann
Years: 1999-2006
Appearances: 283
Goals: 11
Trophies: League Cup (2001, 2003), FA Cup (2001, 2006), UEFA Cup (2001), UEFA Super Cup (2001, 2005), Champions League (2005)
Dietmar Hamann was a reassuring presence in the middle of the pitch for Liverpool across seven years.
With his supreme game intelligence, the enforcer repeatedly snuffed out attacks from the opposition and got his team on the front foot.
But Hamann also possessed the ability to thunder strikes in from distance, as evidenced in most of the 11 goals he scored.
Such qualities made him an important figure for manager Gerard Houllier, who had moved to sign the German from Newcastle United in 1999.
In his second season as a Red, Hamann appeared 53 times in the treble-winning journey of 2000-01 – including starts in the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup finals.
Hamann’s importance to the team remained when Rafael Benitez took command of the dugout in 2004.
His decision to introduce Hamann at half-time of the 2005 Champions League final with AC Milan was a masterstroke.
Hamann – unaware he finished playing the occasion with a broken foot – helped change the complexion completely, resulting in the Reds recovering from a 3-0 deficit in Istanbul and earning European Cup No.5.
He was one of four Liverpool players to take a kick in the shootout that night and coolly swept his finish inside the left post.
‘Didi’ came on in the FA Cup showpiece in Cardiff a year later to produce another vital impact off the bench.
It turned out his final act as a Liverpool player was again netting from the spot in a shootout victory, this time over West Ham United.
Get exclusive early access to the next players revealed on the Liverpool's Greatest list every day on the official LFC app: iOS | Google Play