‘I saved asking to go away Liverpool – however the supervisor did, and I discovered redemption’

There are numerous the reason why Liverpool‘s unimaginable fifth European Cup win will likely be remembered and celebrated by followers for so long as the membership exists.

The superb comeback from three targets down at half-time in opposition to a star-studded AC Milan crew, the Reds reclaiming their title as Kings of Europe after a protracted 21-year wait, and Rafa Benitez’s crew silencing the taunts of Everton followers who had been thrilled that their crew completed above Liverpool and certified for the Champions League play-offs, simply to call just a few.

That sense of redemption additionally applies to a number of of the Liverpool gamers who turned legends on that unforgettable evening within the Turkish capital. No one may ever truthfully say that the Reds’ 2005 crew was among the many membership’s greatest by way of talent – or arguably, even within the prime 10 – however the truth that such a comparatively modest crew managed to defy the chances and beat a clearly superior crew of confirmed winners solely provides further shine within the eyes of many.

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And the truth that a number of members of the squad who led the Reds to victory had lengthy been dismissed as failures, together with one much-criticised defender who had grow to be a laughing inventory after a high-profile personal purpose solely months earlier, however was lifted up by an inspiring pep discuss from a team-mate who knew all too effectively what it looks like when your title turns into a joke.

Djimi Traore, who celebrated his forty fourth birthday earlier this month, was simply 18 when he joined Liverpool in February 1999. He was one of many first gamers signed by Gerard Houllier, who had grow to be the only supervisor of the Reds solely three months earlier, experiences the Liverpool Echo.

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Houllier rapidly returned to France to start out his revolution at Anfield, spending £1.5m to carry former Nantes midfielder Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor in Turkey. Not lengthy after, he spent one other £2.6m on Rigobert Song, a centre-back from Cameroon who had made a reputation for himself in France with Metz earlier than shifting to Salernitana in Italy.

Houllier prioritised strengthening the defence, spending £700,000 on Frode Kippe, a towering Norwegian defender from Lillestrm, and utilizing his expertise because the technical director of the French Football Federation to signal one in every of France’s most promising younger defenders. Despite solely making just a few appearances for his native membership, Stade Lavallois, younger Traore had already caught the eye of massive golf equipment like Paris St Germain, AC Milan, Parma and Lazio. Liverpool’s supervisor Houllier rapidly secured a £550,000 deal to carry him to Merseyside, telling the press: “You’ll thank me for signing him.”

It wasn’t till the following season that Traore made his first-team debut, beginning each legs of the Reds’ League Cup second-round tie with Hull City. These had been his solely video games till nearly a yr later, when he began the primary 5 Premier League matches at left-back within the 2000-01 season.

Houllier’s reign really kicked off together with his crew bagging an unheard-of cup Treble. However, Traore’s greenness was clear from the early video games.

He unintentionally arrange Southampton’s Marian Pahars for a last-minute equaliser, incomes the Saints a degree after they’d been three targets behind on Liverpool’s ultimate go to to the Dell. Soon after, he clumsily gave away a penalty to Alf-Inge Haaland (father of Erling) which let Manchester City draw degree from two targets down at Anfield.

A late purpose from Dietmar Hamann saved the day. The younger Frenchman performed 12 occasions that season however none after late November. The subsequent summer season, he went again to France on a year-long mortgage with Lens. There, alongside Senegal ahead El-Hadji Diouf – who would be a part of the Reds on the finish of that marketing campaign – he gained invaluable expertise and almost received the French championship, a key a part of his studying journey.

“Before I joined Liverpool I had only played five games as a professional and that was in the second division in France,” Traore stated. “I wasn’t well-known and didn’t have much experience as a professional, Liverpool was my learning process and it was a high level, so it was not easy. I had to play a year-and-a-half in the reserves, where we won the championship and I was named captain, wherever I’ve been people have said I’m one of the future but that never stopped me wanting to play earlier than that. At first I was a bit apprehensive about coming to Liverpool but fortunately I knew there were some players like Rigobert Song and Jean-Michel Ferri who could take me under their wing and the fact the manager and his coaches are French influenced my choice. There were no regrets.

“I started off as an attacking midfielder at Laval and did quite well because I scored pretty regularly and got forward very often. But after a while I was pulled back into a defensive role because I kept hold of the ball too much. Well, that’s what people told me. You see, my game was based too much on the football I used to play when I was with my friends in Paris, where we wouldn’t run back after we lost the ball. I prefer to play in the middle of the defence as that’s where I learnt my trade but I’ve noticed that in France and in England too that people tend to have more confidence in a youngster who plays left-back rather than central defence.”

When Traore got here again to Anfield, he was put straight into Liverpool’s essential crew. He performed in 45 out of 60 matches that season as a result of Stephane Henchoz obtained damage early on.

This let Traore play as a centre-back, which he likes greatest. But this was the season when issues began to go unsuitable for supervisor Gerard Houllier after an excellent begin. Houllier had come again from critical coronary heart issues the season earlier than. His crew was near profitable the Premier League and Champions League.

He stated they had been “10 games from greatness”. They did not win, however they did rather well with 80 factors and coming second within the league. People thought that if Liverpool obtained some good new gamers in the summertime, they might win large the following season.

The alternative to not hold former Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka and as an alternative signal Traore’s previous Lens mate Diouf – together with two extra signings from the French league, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou – confirmed that Houllier’s magic contact was fading since his sickness. Despite a robust begin to the season, an 11-game winless streak started with a loss at Middlesbrough, from which the marketing campaign by no means recovered.

Liverpool had been knocked out of the Champions League within the group phases after drawing a must-win recreation at FC Basel. Even although they received the League Cup the next March, a defeat at Chelsea on the final day meant they did not qualify for the following season’s Champions League. This was a disappointing finish to a season that began with actual hopes of profitable the title.

Traore netted his first purpose for Liverpool within the following season – a incredible shot throughout a UEFA Cup match in opposition to Steaua Bucharest. Despite the slippery situations, he managed to manage a brief nook from Steven Gerrard and scored together with his weaker proper foot.

However, that was one in every of solely 14 video games he performed that season as he appeared to fall out of favour. It was one other disappointing season for Liverpool, who had been knocked out of home cups by decrease division groups Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace, and misplaced to Marseille within the quarter-finals of the European competitors.

The Reds did handle to complete fourth and qualify for the following season’s Champions League, because of Newcastle United dropping their benefit within the ultimate weeks. But when Houllier’s five-and-a-half yr reign ended, nobody was shocked. Traore admitted he had misplaced religion in his former mentor and would have left if he had stayed in cost.

He expressed: “He was much appreciated by the Englishmen and I can see why. But a lot of the French players didn’t have a chance to play and express themselves. We had to work twice as hard to play. I mainly played left-back but left-back was not my position; centre-back was. And when I played centre-back it was on the right because I was mainly next to Sami Hyypia and Sami didn’t like playing on the right. For a left-footed player that is also not easy. In the end, I didn’t trust him anymore. I was upset. So many times I knocked on his door saying I wanted to leave the club. It was frustrating because I didn’t play. And nothing changed. If he would have stayed then I would not be at Liverpool anymore.”

Rafa Benitez, a Spanish coach who had briefly shaken up the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga by main Valencia to 2 league titles, changed Houllier. He additionally received the UEFA Cup within the earlier season.

Despite nearly signing for Everton through the summer season, Traore was again within the crew underneath Benitez, who rapidly made Jamie Carragher Hyypia’s centre-back associate. Traore performed in 42 out of the 60 matches Liverpool performed that season, which was full of unusual contrasts.

The Reds had a sluggish begin within the league, profitable just one away recreation earlier than January and failing to catch up within the race for a Champions League spot with rivals Everton, who completed three factors above them and secured fourth place.

Benitez’s crew made all of it the way in which to Cardiff within the League Cup, however could not hold the early lead given by John Arne Riise’s volley. Steven Gerrard’s personal purpose within the 77th minute in opposition to Chelsea, a crew he was rumoured to be transferring to, led to a 3-2 defeat after further time.

They had already been knocked out of the FA Cup on the first stage as a result of an incident that might have ruined Traore’s profession if he’d let it. In the third spherical, they had been drawn away in opposition to mid-table Championship facet Burnley.

Benitez gave begins to younger gamers David Raven, Zak Whitbread, John Welsh and Darren Potter. However, it was almost 25 yr previous Traore who unintentionally scored the profitable purpose for the opposite crew six minutes into the second half.

With no rating and little strain, he tried to easily flip with the ball when coping with Richard Chaplow’s cross throughout the entrance of the six-yard field, however ended up clumsily dragging the ball into his personal internet. This embarrassing exit added extra strain and scrutiny to Liverpool’s season.

The earlier weekend’s dwelling defeat to Manchester United left the Reds 21 factors behind league leaders Chelsea. However, Traore was inspired by supportive phrases from a team-mate who understood what he was going via.

“I’m not ashamed of the own goal against Burnley,” Traore advised the Guardian. “It is the story of my career some highs, some lows. It was my fault and I take responsibility for it. I was trying to turn with the ball but it bounced on the wrong part of the field, hit my achilles and went in. A big mistake and Rafa thought the same that is why he subbed me soon afterwards. He also told me I had been too relaxed in the game and the own goal was my punishment for that. I agreed with him.”

“The following day I was in the locker room at Melwood and Jamie Carragher came and sat next to me. He could tell I was not in a good place. We had a long discussion during which he said, ‘Djimi, that’s nothing, I once scored two own goals in one game, and it was against Manchester United. So don’t worry’. That meant a lot and allowed me to move on.”

Liverpool’s rollercoaster trip within the Champions League required a number of grit. The Reds had been nearly knocked out within the group phases till Steven Gerrard’s incredible volley in opposition to Olympiacos obtained them into the final 16.

After simply beating Bayer Leverkusen, Benitez’s crew narrowly defeated Juventus of their first match because the Heysel tragedy 20 years in the past. This arrange a semi-final in opposition to Chelsea, who had already received each Premier League matches and the League Cup ultimate that season.

The first leg at Stamford Bridge led to a goalless draw. Before the return match at Anfield, Chelsea clinched their first league title in 50 years with a win at Bolton.

They had been favourites to succeed in the ultimate, however Luis Garcia’s early ‘ghost purpose’ and Liverpool’s sturdy defence and dedication took the Reds to the ultimate. This was in opposition to all odds, as they had been dealing with a crew that completed a large 37 factors forward of them within the league.

Traore, who performed in all however one in every of Liverpool’s knockout matches, together with each legs in opposition to Juventus and Chelsea the place just one purpose was conceded, spoke earlier than the ultimate in opposition to AC Milan. He talked about his determination to stay with Liverpool throughout robust occasions and the way the crew’s unyielding spirit may make the distinction in opposition to extra expert opponents.

“When I left France at 19-years-old for Liverpool, a lot of people said I made a mistake,” he stated. “But on Wednesday I will play the Champions League final! That is pride. Gerard Houllier signed me at Liverpool in 1999, when I was completely unknown. I owe him a lot. This season, Rafael Benitez has trusted me, and I play. That proves I don’t need any string pulling to make a name for myself. When I came here, I felt some hesitation towards me.

“People stated, ‘he’s a Frenchman like Houllier. So he’ll play’. I needed to make twice as a lot effort as the opposite gamers simply to be accepted. On a person degree, we’re much less sturdy than a number of gamers of different groups. We haven’t got so many bombastic names different nice European groups have both. But we’re nonetheless right here, regardless of all the pieces. Because there’s a soul at Liverpool. We are extra closely-knit than all our adversaries. There can also be a life between us out of the pitch.”

Traore began as a left-back within the Ataturk Olympic Stadium however had a tricky first half together with his crew, conceding a free-kick inside 40 seconds which Andrea Pirlo swung in for Paolo Maldini to attain. The Italians had been unstoppable, main 3-0 by half-time.

It appeared like Traore, who debuted for Mali the earlier yr, can be substituted when Benitez advised him so. But he obtained a second probability when right-back Steve Finnan could not proceed as a result of a thigh difficulty.

Djimi Traore has opened up on the thoughts video games performed by Rafael Benitez throughout his time at Liverpool.

“With Rafa it was two ways,” Traore recalled. “If he called me ‘Djimi’ I knew I was in his good books and if he called me ‘Traore’ I knew I was in trouble at half-time he said ‘Traore’, so I knew I was done. The first half was a nightmare we were losing 3-0 in the biggest game of our lives. I took off my kit and got into the shower, but I just stood there thinking about my performance because it had been poor and I felt as if I’d let down my team-mates.

“And then perhaps 20 seconds later Rafa’s assistant, Pako Ayestaran, got here and stated, ‘Djimi, you are in once more’ Steve Finnan was injured so he was coming off as an alternative. I obtained out of the bathe and refocused. This was a second probability for me to do effectively in a large recreation and luckily that’s what occurred with the clearance. It was redemption.”

Dietmar Hamann, who was surprisingly neglected of the beginning line-up in favour of Harry Kewell, got here on after simply 23 minutes when Kewell obtained injured. Liverpool then managed to equalise inside an hour because of targets from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso. Despite the Italians’ makes an attempt to regain their lead, Liverpool held on and took the match to penalties.

Hamann, Djibril Cisse and Smicer all scored, whereas goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek made two essential saves. This secured Liverpool’s fifth European Cup. However, it may have been a distinct story if Traore hadn’t cleared a shot from Andrei Shevchenko off the road after Dudek had dropped a cross.

“I just tried to do my job and I was lucky to be in the right spot,” Traore modestly stated. “To be honest with you, everybody brought something to the team that night. You have to give a lot of credit to the ‘Kaiser’ (Hamann), he brought his experience and his confidence to the team in the second half. He gave us what we had been missing in the first half.

“We had been additionally fortunate to have probably the greatest keepers on the planet that evening. Jerzy Dudek was on hearth. The save from Shevchenko was unbelievable. When you see your keeper try this type of factor, we knew that when it went to penalties he would avoid wasting. It was when Stevie’s header went in that I began to consider we may do it.”

“I remembered the words of the coach. At half-time Rafa had said that if we could score one goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half we could come back. Only Stevie could have scored that kind of goal and lifted the team in that way. He brought back that spirit and desire. What we did in that second half showed that in sport anything can happen.

“Yes, it was a miracle. But for me it additionally confirmed the character of the group and the character of the supervisor. We did it for the followers and we did it for the town. I all the time beloved enjoying within the Champions League for Liverpool as a result of the followers had been incredible. European nights had been particular. You may really feel that communication between the gamers and the followers. You may really feel the spirit of Liverpool. We all the time performed for them.”

After the FA Cup victory in a thrilling final ending 3-3, Traore only managed 24 games for the rest of that season. This was because Benitez was assembling his ideal team.

By summer 2006, Traore had moved on to Charlton Athletic, wrapping up his Liverpool journey of seven and a half years and 141 matches. His next stops included Portsmouth, Rennes and Birmingham City via loan deals, then onto Monaco and Marseille, before finally ending his playing career at Seattle Sounders in the USA.

He later coached there and became the head coach for international academy Right to Dream. This initiative started in Ghana over two decades ago and offers young ones the chance to join football training and education. West Ham‘s Mohammed Kudus, who scored in opposition to Liverpool within the Champions League for Ajax earlier than starring with West Ham, is one in every of over 20 Ghana internationals to come back from this academy.

Traore confessed it fits him to make use of his experiences to information younger gamers via hurdles, saying: “I can say to them, ‘you can score an own goal and then a few months later win the Champions League'”. This considerate outlook could possibly be seen in his shifting tribute to Gerard Houllier, who sadly handed away in December 2020 aged 73.

He expressed: “It’s a very sad day today. I’m devastated because we lost someone very important for world of football and very important for my career as a player. He signed me for Liverpool when I was 18 and gave me the opportunity to play at Anfield Road and be part of club history. I had a relationship like father and son with Gerard. He was hard on me but at the end of the day, he wanted the best for me.”

Despite the title Djimi Traore usually sparking drained jokes about his personal purpose at Burnley exterior Anfield, his function within the Reds’ unimaginable journey to Istanbul, not simply within the ultimate, ought to by no means be ignored and can all the time be a supply of nice satisfaction for him.

He shared: “My Liverpool career was always like that lots of ups and downs. But I always believed in myself. I always had trust from the manager and from my team-mates, and they helped me. I was always strong in my head and that helped me to put any bad times behind me. In difficult situations I stayed strong. What happened in Istanbul was reward for that. That was the greatest night of my career. To win the Champions League is the biggest achievement for any player and to win it with this football club made it extra special. It was the club’s fifth European Cup so we got it for keeps. I’m very proud that I was a part of that.”

“Whenever I meet Liverpool fans in America, Europe or Africa they all want to talk about that final. Everyone remembers where they were for that game. That’s when you realise you touched people by being involved in something great. Overall I did my best and always fought to stay in the team. And in the end I played a lot of games for Liverpool, more games than a lot of players the club signed for big money. When you play for the Reds, you are a Red forever.”