Liverpool icon now admits he almost signed for Everton but David Moyes rejected him

Add as preferred source on Google

Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has outlined just how close he came to joining Everton.

Agger became something of a cult hero over eight-and-a-half years with Liverpool. Having made over 200 appearances for the Reds, the Dane was one of the best centre-backs in Europe on his day.

However, according to a story he told John Aldridge for the Aldo Meets Podcast, Agger was close to joining Everton, not Liverpool, from Brondby back in 2006.

“My first year I won the league and the cup and played for the national team, one of my first games was against England and we won 4-1, it was a really good game,” recalled the 39-year-old.

“Brondby actually told me that David Moyes the Everton manager was in the stadium and wanted to speak to me afterwards and I said ‘yeah, okay’. And I came after the game and thought that was a decent game, but he disappeared.

“I asked the club director there and he said ‘no, he said to me he didn’t think you were prepared for the Premier League’. I thought okay and six months later I was here.”

Agger reveals Everton escape

Had Agger joined the Toffees then there’s obviously no way he would have ever ended up at Liverpool.

The Everton of 2006 was not the Everton we know today, though. Back then, Moyes had just steered the Blues into the Champions League knockout stages. They were a bit of a force.

Still, you’d imagine that Agger’s quality would have led to a move up the footballing foodchain before long.

But in that scenario, Liverpool simply wouldn’t have had a look-in.

Happily for Agger – and for the Reds – Moyes didn’t know a good thing when it was staring him in the face. Rafa Benitez stepped in and brought the Denmark international to Merseyside.

From there, the defender went on to become a mainstay at Anfield.

Unfortunately, Agger also revealed regret at the way he left Liverpool, though. Having become frustrated at a back-up role under Brendan Rodgers, he left in a huff back to Brondby.

Although regrets will forever linger over that for Agger, at least he can look back here and know that things happened exactly the way they were meant to.