Stephane Henchoz : Defender (1999-2005)Date of Birth: 07/09/1974
Birthplace: Billens, Switzerland
Debut : v Hull City, September 1999, won 4-2
1st team games: 205
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: Stade Payerne, Bulle, Xamax Neuchatel, SV Hamburg, Blackburn Rovers, Celtic, Wigan Athletic
International caps : 69 (Switzerland)
International goals: 0
Honours with Liverpool: -
PROFILE
Stephane Henchoz left Liverpool in January 2005 to begin a new career with Celtic after joining the Glasgow side on a short term deal until the end of the 2005/06 season.
Henchoz returned to the Premiership in the 2005/06 season when he had a very successful campaign with newly promoted Wigan Athletic.
During his five-and-a-half year stay at Anfield Henchoz proved to be an inspirational signing and was popular with the Liverpool fans. Unfortunately the past two seasons were interrupted due to spells of injury but he still surpassed the 200 mark of games for Liverpool in 2003/04.
With Gerard Houllier preferring Igor Biscan at centre half Henchoz became something of a bit part player appearing as an occasional right back. However it was surely no surprise that results started to improve and Liverpool made the fourth place when Henchoz returned alongside Sami Hyypia in 2003/04.
Together with partner Hyypia, they make a formidable pair and are the rocks upon which the team is based.
Henchoz missed a large part of the 2002/03 season due to injury and it surely wasn't any coincidence that without him Liverpool's defence looked vulnerable and the Reds missed out on the Champions League. However the Swiss defender did return from injury to play in the 2003 Worthington Cup win over Manchester United in Cardiff.
Stephane was signed from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 1999. When Blackburn were relegated, Gerard Houllier moved swiftly to bring the cultured Swiss international to Anfield for a bargain 3.5 million, beating off competition from other interested European clubs.
Unfortunately the Liverpool supporters had to wait to witness the appearance of Henchoz in a red shirt. A groin injury delayed his debut and he became the last of the club's seven signings that summer to make his debut in the 4-2 win over Hull City in the Worthington Cup in September 1999.
Strong in the air and an uncompromising man marker, Henchoz became a vital member of the much improved Liverpool rearguard and was an unsung hero of the Reds' treble success.
He never scored from Liverpool in a senior match apart from a penalty in the Carling Cup win at Tottenham in the 2004/05 season, and in pre-season 2004 he scored in a pre-season friendly against Celtic.
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