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SAMMY LEE: THE BIG INTERVIEW - EXCLUSIVE!
In an exclusive interview, Liverpool legend Sammy Lee speaks for the first time about his emotional Anfield departure in 2004 and looks ahead to Sunday's return to his spiritual home.
Sammy, it's almost two years now since your left Anfield but does Liverpool remain a club that is very close to your heart?
I think you know the answer to that. Everyone knows. People know what my feelings are towards Liverpool, even the people here at Bolton. I think it was Gerard Houllier who said 'you can take me away from Liverpool but you can't take Liverpool away from me'. And that's the way it is. Liverpool Football Club has been such a big part of me – as a man and boy. That's not going to change overnight and I hope it never will.
So it's still the first result you look for when a Bolton match is over?
Yes, of course. It was the same when I left as a player.
Your departure came as a big surprise to many Liverpudlians; can you explain your reasons for leaving?
I had been invited to stay and I fully appreciated that. What I also appreciated though was that Rafa had to bring his own staff in. This was perfectly understandable. I've got nothing but the utmost respect for Rafael Benitez and the club. But having been a major part of what Gerard Houllier was trying to implement and achieve, during the bad times and the good, I just felt that it was best I also went, just as he and Phil had gone. To have stayed after they'd left maybe I'd have lost some credibility.
Given your love of the Reds how difficult a decision was it?
It was a massively difficult decision. All my family and friends are from Liverpool and I'd been there such a long time. I absolutely loved the place but I had to do what I had to. I had a couple of options on the table and I chose to work with the FA for two reasons. One because it is a great association and two, I thought it would be wrong of me to stay in club football after being invited to stay at Anfield. It was a tremendous wrench but I'd been through it before as a player.
Would you say it was one of the hardest decisions you've ever had to make?
Yes, for sure. I've had two – one when I left as a player in 1986 and this as a coach in 2004. They weren't easy decisions to make at all, I can guarantee you that.
Sammy on his love for LFC
"People know what my feelings are towards Liverpool, even the people here at Bolton. I think it was Gerard Houllier who said 'you can take me away from Liverpool but you can't take Liverpool away from me'. And that's the way it is. Liverpool Football Club has been such a big part of me – as a man and boy. That's not going to change overnight and I hope it never will."
What was worse – as a player or as coach?
(long pause) I'd have to say as a coach. As a player you always think you'll carry on playing somewhere and I did for many years. I then went out of the game briefly before returning to the club I love and so to leave a second time was more difficult.
At what point did you sense the end at Liverpool was near?
Not until around the time it happened really. I was away in Portugal with England when Gerard's reign as manager came to an end and, of course; various other changes took place also around this time. I couldn't tell you the exact time when I realised I would be leaving to be honest. It was all a bit of a blur at that stage and my mind was muddled up. It was a very difficult time for me but I realised, whenever it was, that I had to make a decision one way or the other. And I felt that decision was the right one for me and for the club
It must have been an emotional time, were tears shed?
In this game I suppose you're not supposed to admit to crying but I make no secret of the fact that, yes, I did. I was very sad to leave. However, I'd say there were more tears shed when I left as a player. Even though this was a much tougher decision to make I was much more mature and able to handle it better.
Did any of your family or friends try to change your mind?
My family and friends were superb through it all and I can't thank them enough. They were so supportive at a time when I needed it most. But at the end of the day they knew it was my decision and my decision solely. To be honest, nothing anyone could say or do would have influenced me because my love of Liverpool Football Club has always gone beyond other things. Rightly or wrongly, I've always put the club first. Certain people will know what I mean when I'm talking about that and I don't think I need to expand on it.
Was it comforting though to know that so many people wanted you to stay?
Again, yes, of course. As I've said, I really appreciated the efforts Rafa, his staff and the club in general went to in a bid to keep me at the club. I always have done and always will do. But knowing they wanted me to stay only made my ultimate decision more difficult
Having been part of the coaching staff that achieved unprecedented cup success in 2001 and then runners-up spot in the Premiership the following season, how frustrating was it that Liverpool under Gerard Houllier just fell short when it came to landing the prizes that everyone at this club craves – the Premiership and Champions League?
It was massively frustrating and massively disappointing, for everyone concerned. Equally so, I imagine, for Gerard, Phil, myself, all the staff, all the players and all the fans. First and foremost, I'm a fan myself and I think we all thought, somewhere in the back of our minds, that this was it and we were nearly there. There was such an empathy between the fans and everyone at the football club at the time. But looking back I think that may have been part of the problem.
Do you believe Gerard's illness was also a factor in this?
I'd like to think not because our record in his absence was quite good. But saying that, missing a man of Gerard's standing is bound to have an influence somewhere along the line. I wouldn't say it was immediate. Phil and the staff did ever so well at the time but maybe further down the line it did affect us in some sort of way, although how and why is not something I can put my finger on.
As a coach, do you feel a certain responsibility when a manager is sacked?
Yes, without a doubt. It first happened with Graeme Souness in 1994. Graeme had brought me back to the club and people may wonder why I didn't go when he went but I don't really know why. I suppose it was because I was only reserve team coach at that time. It was not like under Gerard when I enjoyed a much more prominent day-to-day first team role, so much so that I took defeat personally. In these situations, the main man is always the one who gets the plaudits but at the same time he's also the one who gets the flak when things go wrong. The big thing Gerard used to always say was that we were his team behind the team. Whenever there was any success he made sure that our efforts were recognised and rewarded, so it's only fair that we accepted our share of the blame when things went wrong.
The end of the Houllier reign
"In these situations, the main man is always the one who gets the plaudits but at the same time he's also the one who gets the flak when things go wrong. The big thing Gerard used to always say was that we were his team behind the team. Whenever there was any success - and contrary to what some people may now believe there were many good times - he made sure that our efforts were recognised and rewarded, so it's only fair that we accepted our share of the blame when things went wrong."
Did his departure, coming when it did, surprise you?
Things like that always come as a surprise because you always think you can turn things around. When things aren't going so well you just have to get your head down and keep working hard to try and put it right. That's what we did. At the end of the day it wasn't enough but, yes, Gerard's departure still came as a surprise.
Similarly, did Rafa Benitez's appointment as Gerard's successor surprise you?
In a way yes, but only because I hadn’t expected Gerard to leave in the first place. I'm sure there must have been a number of candidates on Liverpool's wanted list to succeed Gerard but to be honest I didn't give it much thought at the time. |
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