Player 'had to' leave Newcastle for Liverpool despite wanting to stay for longer

Former Reds midfielder Didi Hamann admits he would have preferred a longer stint at Newcastle, but felt joining Liverpool was an unmissable opportunity he had to take

Didi Hamann left Newcastle for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Didi Hamann has confessed that he would have liked a longer spell at Newcastle, but the lure of Liverpool was too great to resist.

The ex-midfielder's previous clubs, Newcastle and Manchester City, are gearing up for a crucial midweek showdown. The former Premier League star is expected to join a host of former players in watching the Carabao Cup semifinal second leg. He made his transition from Bundesliga to English soccer in 1998 after featuring in the World Cup in France.

Hamann penned an initial five-year deal with the Tyneside outfit in a transfer from Bayern Munich, choosing England over Real Madrid.

In a 2023 chat with FourFourTwo, the German explained that his decision was easy due to Sir Kenny Dalglish's determination to bring him to Newcastle. While Dalglish is best known for his time at Liverpool, he was manager of Newcastle between 1997 and 1998.

He said: "We had many excellent players at Bayern, but we never gelled as a team. I always felt that, in order to fulfil my potential, I needed to leave.

"After the 1998 World Cup in France, Real Madrid were interested, but the keenest approach was Newcastle with Kenny Dalglish in charge. My mind was made up straight away, and I enjoyed it.

Hamann went on to win the Champions League at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

"Sometimes it wasn't as professional as Bayern, like their training ground and things, but I found a team with plenty of spirit. It was a disappointing year, however.

"We reached the FA Cup final, but didn't do as well as expected in the Premier League [finishing 13th]."

Yet Hamann's time at Newcastle lasted just 12 months before he made the switch to Liverpool. He turned out 31 times for the Magpies, netting five goals and registering four assists before his 1999 switch to Merseyside.

He clocked up 283 appearances in a Liverpool shirt, finding the net 11 times and collecting numerous trophies - most memorably the 2005 Champions League.

Hamann secured legendary status at Anfield, although he's admitted he would have welcomed a longer stay at Newcastle.

Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, he said: "It was great [at Newcastle]. Bit short, I would have liked to stay a bit longer. I signed for a longer time, but when Liverpool came calling, it was hard to turn it down.

"It's never a nice thing to leave clubs and tell the club and the fans that you are off after one season, but I liked it because the people loved the football up there, great sense of humor.

"It was brilliant. I really enjoyed it, but when I had the chance to go to Liverpool, I saw it as an opportunity I had to take."