Former Liverpool attacker Jari Litmanen has revealed that the Reds tried to sign him twice before he eventually arrived at Anfield.
The Finnish legend — a Champions League winner with Ajax in 1995 under Louis van Gaal — finally joined Liverpool at the start of 2001. He spent a memorable season and a half under the late Gerard Houllier, playing his part in the club’s famous trophy treble during his first months on Merseyside.
Litmanen went on to score nine goals in 43 appearances before returning to Ajax in August 2002. However, he admitted his Liverpool move could have happened much earlier if circumstances had fallen differently.
Speaking to The Athletic, Litmanen explained that Roy Evans first approached him in 1997, and he also had the chance to join again in 1999 — before the deal finally happened midway through Liverpool’s treble-winning campaign.
He said:
“Roy Evans came to visit me at a hotel in Amsterdam in 1997. I was seriously thinking about it, but Ajax had been so good to me that I didn’t want to force a transfer. I told Roy that if they agreed a deal with Ajax I’d come, but I wouldn’t force it. They offered some money, but Ajax said I wasn’t for sale.
“Then in 1999, when I was leaving Ajax, it came down to three options — Barcelona, Liverpool or Bayern Munich. I decided to go to Barca because of the stadium, the culture, the language. Plus, Van Gaal was manager there and some of my former team-mates.
“Then the president changed and after Van Gaal left, the new manager said: ‘I’ve chosen Rivaldo, so you don’t have a position in this team’. I thought for a few months and then my mind was clear — now I am ready for Liverpool. We had contact again with Gerard Houllier and he was excited, so we went for it.”
When Liverpool finally secured Litmanen in 2001, it was seen as a major coup — signing a player who had starred for a Champions League-winning Ajax side and played for Barcelona.
It also leaves fans wondering what might have been if Evans had managed to bring him in back in 1997. Had he joined in his mid-20s, he could have spent years supplying the likes of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler, and perhaps helped Liverpool reach the Champions League much sooner than they eventually did.
Although Litmanen struggled with injuries before arriving at Anfield, and found it hard to secure regular starts as Houllier often favoured Owen and Emile Heskey, he still became a firm Kop favourite during his 19 months at the club.
Now approaching his 55th birthday, Litmanen has returned to Anfield for LFC Legends matches, and despite his short spell, he remains fondly remembered by Liverpool supporters.
Many still feel it’s a shame his time in red didn’t last far longer
