Hyypia Hypes Up Routine That Made Him An Anfield Legend
By Ahmad Erwan Othman
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Some call it superstition, but Liverpool FC legend Samy Hyypia prefers to describe his pre-match preparation during his playing days as "a routine”.
Whatever you call it, such practices are very common among the world's greatest footballers, including current Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah, better known as Mo Salah, who always makes sure he is the last player to step onto the pitch with his team during a match.
So, it was interesting indeed when the 52-year-old Hyypia, who was a colossus in the Liverpool defence from 1999 to 2009, offered candid insights into his pre-match routines during an exclusive dialogue session at the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) dinner here yesterday.
Hyypia was quick to emphasise that the main thing about these so-called routine or superstitious practices is that they boosted his self-belief, composure and confidence before stepping onto the pitch.
So, what was his routine like back in those days?
“I would eat exactly the same types of food before every game. I would also always put on my shin pads and socks in the same order.
"It was a routine, not superstition, but it gave me focus,” said the Finnish, who now serves as an ambassador for the Reds.
Whatever he did back then worked wonders, as Hyypia won eight major honours with the Reds - one Champions League (2005), one UEFA Cup (2001), two FA Cups (2001, 2006), two League Cups (2001, 2003) and two UEFA Super Cups (2001 and 2005).
That's not all, he also won the FA Community Shield twice in 2001 and 2006, besides being appointed captain during the 2000-2001 season when the team achieved the Treble - FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Cup.
In total, he made 464 appearances for Liverpool and scored 35 goals - quite an achievement for a centre-back - before leaving Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, in 2009 to join Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen FC until he retired as a player in 2011 at the age of 37.
Of all the achievements, he singled out the "Miracle of Istanbul” in the 2005 Champions League final against Italian giants AC Milan as the best of the lot.
That night, in Turkiye, Liverpool fought back from going 3-0 down in the first half to draw 3-3 in regulation and extra time before edging Milan 3-2 on penalties to lift the trophy for the fifth time. (Liverpool have since won the Champions League six times).
“That night showed me that even when you don’t believe, if you put in the effort, miracles can happen," Hyypia said during the 30-minute session, which was also attended by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and moderated by Standard Chartered Malaysia chief executive officer (CEO) Mak Joon Nien.
Hyypia, who also has 105 international caps with Finland, also joked that he used to be so stressed out before the big games that he would use the bathroom quite frequently before those matches, thus proving that even legends aren’t immune to pre-game nerves.
The exclusive evening at the ASEAN Green Shift Forum was held in conjunction with the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) meeting here.
The forum was jointly organised by ASEAN-BAC Malaysia and Standard Chartered, with support from knowledge partners Yinson Holdings Bhd and the Malaysia Carbon Market Association.
Liverpool have a four-year partnership with Standard Chartered, keeping the financial services firm as the reigning English Premier League champions’ shirt sponsors until 2027.
-- BERNAMA
