Liverpool haven’t had too many German stars down the years. There is one that stands out in the memory though: Didi Hamann. This week has seen news of why one of Didi’s compatriots didn’t join the Reds. Thomas Helmer has revealed he rejected Liverpool because he ‘didn’t have the courage’.
Who is Thomas Helmer?
Now 55-years-old, Thomas Helmer is a retired German footballer.
Like most great German footballers he played for both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
The centre back also racked up 68 caps for Germany during his career.
He won the Bundesliga on three occasions, the UEFA Cup once and the Euros once with Germany.
Thomas Helmer on Liverpool move
Back in 1998 Thomas Helmer was rumoured to be on the move to Liverpool.
Gerard Houllier was thought to be in talks with the veteran centre back about an Anfield switch as the Frenchman looked to add experienced steel to his back line.
The move never happened, however. Speaking to Sport 1, Thomas Helmer opened up on why the Liverpool move never happened:
“I didn’t have the courage to go to Liverpool
“At that point, I was a bit cowardly. The prospect of winning a few more titles was more important to me than adventure and money.”
What RTK has to say
What a strange interview.
We say strange because he went on to join Sunderland in 1999, is Sunderland less frightening than Liverpool?
Ah well, he didn’t miss out on an awful amount. The Reds were beginning their steady decline in the late 90s.
Maybe Thomas Helmer could’ve helped Liverpool toughen up a bit at the back. We could beat the top teams back then but we leaked goals to the minnows.
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