For many players, completing a transfer move to Liverpool is a lifelong dream.
Not every individual who fulfils this ambition goes on to experience success at the club, though this was not the case for Sami Hyypia. Making Anfield his new home in 1999, the towering central-defender would go on to spend a decade on Merseyside and claimed a total of eight major honours.
Both of Hyypia's parents were footballers in his native Finland, though following their career path was not always an outcome the now-48-year-old viewed as a realistic possibility. Speaking to the ECHO, the Reds' fan-favourite admitted: "I never thought I would be playing professionally. I had a lot of fun with my friends on the football field and that was my passion. I think it was quite late in my teenage years that it became more serious. I had some luck in my career with some things, you always need luck, but I worked very hard for what I did in my career.
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"When I was 15, I grew up quite quickly. Everything on the field was a little bit more difficult. At that moment, I didn't have big plans or big targets. I was easy with the targets and remained realistic.
"Liverpool was my favourite team when I was young, so it was a dream come true. When I signed the deal, I thought it was only the beginning and that I needed to show people I could play football. If someone said to me I would spend 10 years playing for this great club on the day I signed, I would have said they were mad. I had great years here and I'm thinking of those with a lot of happiness."
Often an understated figure throughout the course of his Liverpool career, Hyypia enjoyed great success but remained grounded as he went from strength to strength as a player. Rafa Benitez successfully instilled a mentality of no individual being bigger than the club during his reign, which the Finn embodied.
Many former team-mates of the 2005 Champions League winner would name Hyypia as one player whose high-quality performances went under the radar. But who did the man himself view as one person who was overlooked time and time again?
"I would say Steve Finnan," responded Hyypia. "He was a great player for our team. He did a lot of good things and was very consistent. Every team needs those kind of players and he was like that. I think he didn't get the plaudits he deserved."
Becoming first-choice captain of the side in 2002 was Hyypia's reward for an assured start to life on Merseyside. This responsibility lasted only a year, however, as Steven Gerrard was selected to become the new leader of the side. What may have represented a bitter pill to swallow for many players was accepted with grace by Hyypia, who was under no illusions that Gerrard was more than capable of rising to the challenge of becoming skipper.
Looking back on this moment in his career, he said: "Coming from Finland and being the Liverpool captain is a great honour. I still remember the day I lost the captaincy to Stevie and I am very happy that happened. I knew it meant a lot to Stevie and he grew up as a man and a player so much after that. For myself, I started to play better when I lost the captaincy. It worked both ways.
"It may have even made our relationship even deeper as he saw I was okay with the manager's decision and took it as a professional and a man. I think he [Gerrard] respected me more after that. I wanted to help Stevie and if he had a problem, I was always there."
Two years spent at Bayer Leverkusen followed after Hyypia's Anfield exit in 2009 before he called time on a memorable playing career. An opportunity arose to return to the Reds just one year after his departure, though Roy Hodgson's efforts were in vain as the Bundesliga side kept hold of the imposing centre-back.
The Porvoo-born defender concluded his conversation with the ECHO by insisting he has not one regret over his time with Liverpool, though offered less certainty when discussing a potential route back into football management. Hyypia's most recent role was a short-lived spell as an assistant at Finnish side FC Haka in 2020, having previously coached FC Zurich, Brighton and Leverkusen.
"I am more than pleased with my time at Liverpool," he said. "I still have a lot of good relationships with people here in the city and a lot of friends. It is always nice to come back to Anfield. After I left, I had a great year at Leverkusen. When Roy [Hodgson] asked me to come back, I asked Leverkusen what they thought about it and they said they wouldn't be happy with that. And that was it. I respected their opinion about it and, for me, that was it.
"Coaching still interests me, but recently I have seen different managers ageing a lot in one year with the pressure. I don't know if I want to be involved in that. Let's see. I haven't made any final decisions on if I want to come back or don't want to come back. I have enjoyed this time I have had with my kids. In the last five or six years, I have tried to give a lot of time to them. When they move away from home, it is time for me to think about myself."
Asked about the prospect of Gerrard becoming the future manager of Liverpool, Hyypia added: "Why not? He has done a good job at Rangers and now is doing a good job at Aston Villa."
