Sami retires

[Darkon]

Manager after Kenny wins us the league 3 years on the trot

I could well see him becoming a manager down the road, seems to have all the right leadership qualities as well as football intelligence.

Leverkusen will be a good fit for him I believe, they are very focused on producing talents and have a great setup, and a person like Sami will have a lot to teach youngsters.

[Roboklopp]

Aye, it's sad he isn't straight back in a coaching role, but in one way it's good he'll get to blood himself before his (hopefully inevitable) return.

[Tee]

Sami.

Bring him home Kenny.

[danperkins]

World class defender, top pro and comes across as a gent. LFC Legend!

[Bender]

Former Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen defender Sami Hyypia has retired from playing football at the age of 37.
The Finnish centre-back played for the Reds for a decade after signing from Dutch club Willem II in 1999.
During his time at Anfield he was part of a team who won an historic FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2001, and the Champions League in 2005.

"The decision to retire grew during the season," said Hyypia, who will now take up a coaching role at Leverkusen.
"I had no interest any more to go elsewhere to play.
"There are no regrets. Thanks to all those who have helped during the course of my career and to my relatives a big thank you, without family and friends it would not have been possible."




The Finn also has plans to coach his country, having played under both Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez at Liverpool during his 464 appearances at the club.
"It will be an interesting year," Hyypia added. "I must get a coaching licence and then I get the experience of Leverkusen and the national team coaching.

"I'm really happy about this. All who know me know I put myself fully into it. It is 100% or nothing."
Hyypia joined Liverpool for £2.5m and was considered to be one of the club's best signings, establishing a formidable centre-back partnership with Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz.

He captained the side for part of the 2001 season and the 2002 season before being replaced as skipper by Steven Gerrard in 2003.
During his time at Liverpool, he also won another FA Cup and League Cup as well as two European Super Cups before leaving Merseyside in 2009 and joining Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal.
BBC

[johnly]

One of the finest servants of our club and one of the best players to wear the shirt. What a bargain he was too. Can't even begin to count how many games I saw him play at Anfield and elsewhere. Top man. That goal against Juve will remain in my memory. Was sat at the back of the main stand and we erupted when that went in. Legend!

[Rudo]

What a man. Good luck in retirement Sami, would be brilliant if you came back to LFC in a coaching capacity.

Legend.

[Rudo]

One of the finest servants of our club and one of the best players to wear the shirt. What a bargain he was too. Can't even begin to count how many games I saw him play at Anfield and elsewhere. Top man. That goal against Juve will remain in my memory. Was sat at the back of the main stand and we erupted when that went in. Legend!

Yeah the Juve goal was a class moment, Sami always had great technique, very underrated part of his game.

Remember he scored a peach of a volley vs Spurs and IIRC a half volley vs the Scum.

[Tee]

His header v Arsenal in the CL as well.

[johnly]

Yeah the Juve goal was a class moment, Sami always had great technique, very underrated part of his game.

Remember he scored a peach of a volley vs Spurs and IIRC a half volley vs the Scum.

The Spurs goal was class. Sami!

[paulg]

He was always so composed. Often still on his feet when the player he tackled was in a heap. Excellent in the air, but also had great direction with his headers. He never seemed to just lump it.

[Exiled_red]

Sami was proof that you didn't have to have great pace to be a good defender. He never had pace but his reading of the game was superb and meant that pacy opponents weren't a great problem

[red n white]

Just spoke to someone who had attended the press conference ealier today.

Apparently Sami will be co-trainer for Finland and temporarily join several clubs in England and Spain until summer 2012. After that he will permanently join Leverkusen's training staff on a 2 year contract. During this time he will sit the courses at the DFB school in Cologne (where he is living) in order to get a certificate.

I assume that following that contract he will be looking to move upward towards a manager's role.

Pretty shrewd planning of his future if you ask me. This guy is not a fool and I expect we will hear a lot of him over the next 30 years.

[SB]

What a player he was

[Rudo]

By Henry Winter, Football Correspondent 11:00PM BST 02 May 2011

Gerrard removed the armband and gave it to his replacement, Sami Hyypia, who was saying a tearful farewell to Anfield.

The Kop stood in salute of a beloved Finn who had given a decade’s dedicated service, helped Liverpool to the Champions League, Uefa Cup and two FA Cup, played 464 games, scored 35 goals and was such a disciplined defender that he went 87 games between January 2000 and October 2001 without being booked.

Having wound down his career at Bayer Leverkusen, the centre-half has just announced his retirement at 37. Coaching beckons. One anecdote captures Hyypia.

In October 2003, Gérard Houllier, looking to the future, took the armband off Hyypia and handed it to Gerrard. Ever the team man, Hyypia was the first to congratulate Gerrard. No wonder Gerrard repaid the compliment.

Hyypia will always be revered at Liverpool for his class as a defender and as a person. He’ll never walk alone.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8488316/Sami-Hyypia-retires-as-a-Liverpool-legend-and-an-all-round-class-act-who-Anfield-will-always-hold-dear.html