PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Dietmar Hamann

Dietmar Hamann : Midfield (1999-2006)
Date of Birth: 27/8/1973
Birthplace: Waldasson, Bavaria
Debut : V Sheffield Wednesday, 7th August 1999. Won 2-1
1st team games: 283
1st team goals: 11
Other clubs: FC Wacker Munchen, Bayern Munchen, Newcastle United.
Honours won with Liverpool: Worthington Cup 2001, FA Cup 2001, UEFA Cup 2001, FA Charity Shield 2001. UEFA Super Cup 2001, Carling Cup 2003, UEFA Champions League 2005, FA Cup 2006


PROFILE

Mr dependable, popular German star Dietmar Hamann left Liverpool in July 2006 to sign for Manchester City bringing to an end seven glorious years at Anfield.

One of the best holding midfield players in Europe, Didi played a major part in the Champions League win over AC Milan when he entered the field as a second half substitute and inspired the team to come back from 3-0 down, when he marked Kaka and enabled Steven Gerrard and company to get the Reds back into the match.
He also came on as a substitute in the FA Cup win over West Ham in 2006 and more than played his part in another trophy win for the Reds.

Didi was signed by Gerard Houllier from Newcastle United for £8 million in 1999 and quickly became a fans favourite and a vital member of the Liverpool team.

Hamann was the holding player in midfield who breaks up attacks and is also a good passer of the ball.

After starting his career at the little known Wacker Munich, where his father was coach, Didi joined their more illustrious city rivals Bayern as a 16-year old in 1989. He made his first team debut two years later and in nine years with the Bavarian giants won two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and UEFA Cup.

After playing for his country in the 1998 World Cup he joined Newcastle, managed at the time by Kenny Dalglish, for 5.5 million.

Following his spell at St James' Park, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal all declared an interest but in July 1999 he opted to join Gerard Houllier's Liverpool revolution.

The 2000/2001 season saw Hamann prove himself as a man for the big occasion, excelling as the club won a much-celebrated cup treble and a place in the Champions League.

Hamann since became the first Liverpool player since Roger Hunt in 1966 to play in a World Cup Final, but finished on the losing side as Brazil won the 2002 World Cup 2-0. Despite the defeat he was widely regarded as one of Germany's best players during the tournament.

Didi wrote himself into the record books when he became the last man to score at Wembley Stadium, his long range free-kick helping Germany to a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over England in October 2000.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Markus Babbel

Markus Babbel : Defender 2000-2004
Date of Birth: 08/09/1972
Birthplace: Munich
1st team games: 73
1st team goals: 6
Other clubs: Bayern Munich
International caps : 51
International goals : 1




PROFILE

Markus Babbel had a fantastic debut season at his beloved Anfield when he played a major role in the treble success and scored some memorable goals and left with everyone's best wishes when he returned to Germany to join vfb Stuttgart in July 2004.
Markus arrived at Anfield on a Bosman-style free transfer in the summer of 2000 from Bayern Munich, having helped the most famous of all German clubs to a domestic League and Cup double in his final season.

Bavarian born, Babbel made his name with Bayern but also had a spell with Hamburg. A German international since 1995, making his debut in a friendly against Spain in February of that year, he was a key contributor to Germany's Euro 96 triumph in England.

Babbel was one of Liverpool's key performers during the 2000/01 treble season and was outstanding as an attacking right back with a memorable derby goal against Everton amongst his highlights. Markus also scored in the UEFA Cup Final win over Alaves in Dortmund.

After picking up five medals and adding a new dimension to Liverpool's play as an attacking right back, sadly the following season 2001/02 Babbel was laid down with the potentially deadly virus Guillain-Barre Syndrome which kept him out of action for practically the whole of the 2001/02 season.

He tried to make a comeback in the 2002/03 campaign but struggled to make an impact and he wasn't the same player. The pace of the game and the physical side saw Babbel struggle as he chased full fitness again, and spent most of the season in the reserves.

After playing pre-season in 2003/04 Gerard Houllier shipped Babbel off to Blackburn Rovers on a season's loan.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Christian Ziege

Christian Ziege : Defender
Date of Birth: 01/02/1972
Birthplace: Berlin
Debut : 9th September 2000 v Manchester City (H) Premiership: won 3-2
1st team games: 32
1st team goals: 2
Other clubs: Middlesbrough, AC Milan, Bayern Munich
International caps while with Liverpool: 59
International goals while with Liverpool: 8
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE
Born in Berlin, Christian Ziege actually started his career as a goalkeeper. It was only after spells with his local clubs Sudstern 08, TSVRudow and Hertha Zehlendorf that he became an outfield player, and his impressive form during the early years of his career in Germany saw him snapped up by the mighty Bayern Munich while still only 18.

Christian represented Germany at every level as a youth and was hailed by the press as the "new Andy Brehme" when he captained the under-21 team.

He made his senior debut for Germany against Brazil in the 1993 US Cup and played a starring role for the triumphant Germany side at Euro '96, playing every minute of every game and scoring the team's first goal in their opening game against the Czech Republic.

That year he also helped Bayern win the UEFA Cup. After an unhappy spell in Italy with AC Milan, Ziege was delighted to join Middlesbrough, who paid ?4 million for his services. He revived his career on Teeside and duly returned to the national side, scoring a brilliant hat-trick against Northern Ireland in his second game back and going on to win his 50th cap in Germany's final warm-up match before Euro 2000, where he played the first two games against Romania and England.

In the summer of 2000, Ziege swapped Teeside for Merseyside. His ?5.5 million transfer was a long, drawn out affair and following his arrival he struggled to hold down a regular place in the first team.

Probably his best game in a Red shirt came in the UEFA Cup quarter final in Italy away to Roma, when his superb cross saw Michael Owen score his second goal of the game to give the Reds a priceless 2-0 win. He made a substitute appearance in the Worthington Cup Final against Birmingham and scored one of the penalties in the shoot-out victory.

Frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities and the emergence of Gregory Vignal saw Ziege move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2001.