PLAYER PROFILE

Sami Hyypia

Position: Defence

Height: 6'3

Weight: 13st 5lbs

Date of Birth: 1973-10-07 Porvoo, Finland

Sami Hyypia

Sami Hyypia has proved to be one of the best signings of the Gerard Houllier era, providing aerial strength, composure and sure-footed technique at the heart of a defence that had been accused of conceding sloppy and needless goals.

The towering Finn was signed in the summer of 1999 from Dutch club Willem II, whom he had just captained to a place in the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Sami quickly endeared himself to the Anfield faithful with his assured performances and showed the crowd flashes of their defensive brilliance of the past. Forming an impressive partnership with Stephane Henchoz, Hyypia was elevated to the status of a Kop legend after just one year at the club and was nominated for the prestigious PFA Player of the year trophy.

2000/01 was another landmark season for the Finnish international and he successfully led the team to their unprecedented treble winning success in his role as part-time captain. And he did this without picking up a single red or yellow card - a remarkable feat for a centre-back.

Following the sales of Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler, Hyypia was elevated to club captain in April 2002, although the rise in prominence of Steven Gerrard saw the captaincy taken off him at the start of the 2003/04 campaign. Despite this, Hyypia continued to put in commanding performances in the Reds' defence. He made over 50 appearances in all competitions for Gerard Houllier, helping them finish fourth and secure a place in the Champions League qualifying round.

Indeed, after the 2004/05 season Hyypia could be regarded as something of an Anfield veteran. He made 49 appearances for his team, scoring three times, notably in their 2-1 victory in the Champions League Quarter-Final against Juventus. His strong defensive displays were instrumental in helping Liverpool secure the Champions League.

He was a key figure again in 2005/06 with his partnership with Jamie Carragher helping contribute to a record-breaking run of clean sheets.

Though injury kept him out of some games in 2006/07, he still managed to make over thirty appearances.

He continued this form in 2007/08 and remains an important member of the team.