PLAYER PROFILE

Dietmar Hamann

Position: Midfield

Height: 6'2

Weight: 12st 9lbs

Date of Birth: 1973-08-27 Waldasson, Germany

Dietmar Hamann

Gerard Houllier broke Liverpool's transfer record in the summer of 1999 to land Dietmar Hamann. The German international cost £8million from Premiership rivals Newcastle United but, as far as Houllier was concerned,it was money well spent, with the Frenchman claiming Hamann had "everything as a footballer" around the time of claiming his signature.

Hamann is best known for his calmness on the ball and range of passing, not to mention his awesome ability to strike the ball towards goal - as England fans know all too well. Hamann's solitary strike against England for Germany proved to be the last ever competitive goal scored at Wembley and the reason for the passing of yet another manager in the form of Kevin Keegan.

Hamann began his career at German minnows Wacker Munich under the careful gaze of his coaching father. But the big clubs soon came in for the talented young midfielder and he completed a move to Bavarian giants and Wacker city rivals Bayern, as a 16-year-old in 1989. In nine years there he won two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and Uefa Cup.

He joined Newcastle in the summer of 1998 after the World Cup for a £5.5million fee but spent just one season at St James' Park before deciding to move on.

Didi has become an integral part of the Liverpool midfield - helping them on their way to a much-celebrated cup Treble and places in the Champions League in 2001 and 2002.

Hamann also became the first Liverpool player, since Roger Hunt in 1966, to play in a World Cup final. He was part of the German side which lost 2-0 to Brazil in the Japan and South Korea finals in 2002.

He continued to be the holding anchor in midfield for Liverpool througout the 2003/04 campaign and clocked up his 200th appearance for the Reds in the 0-0 draw with Leicester City in March.

Internationally Hamann was unlucky as Germany were knocked out of Euro 2004 having failed to qualify past a tricky group stage which included Holland and the Czech Republic. After which Hamann was dropped for several months, before being recalled by Jurgen Klinsmann at the end of a 2004/05 season which proved a great succes for a resurgent Hamann.

Playing consistently for the Reds, he scored once - a crucial third goal in Liverpool's 3-1 in the Champions League Second Round First Leg encounter with Bayern Leverkusenm as well as playing a crucial role in their success in the final in Istanbul.

He found first team football more difficult to come by in 2005/06, as Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Momo Sissoko squeezed him out of contention, so it was no surprise that he left in the summer of 2006.

It was more surprising, having already agreed to sign for Bolton Wanderers, that he ended up joining Manchester City instead in July 2006 after a last minute change of heart.

His first season at Eastlands was releatively successful as he played 14 games. He is a useful and experienced utility man.