DIRK Kuyt has revealed he snubbed a move on deadline day to a Premier League club before he became a Liverpool legend.
Kuyt, now 43, was signed by the Reds for a fee of around £9million in 2006.
AP:Associated PressLiverpool’s Dirk Kuyt was a cult hero at Anfield[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyKuyt, who is now a coach, revealed he could have joined Spurs instead[/caption]
However, a year before he could have been turning out for a different club.
The Dutch forward claimed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy tried to convince him to join Spurs.
Levy made the call on transfer deadline day, and urged him to make the switch.
But Kuyt decided against the move because he didn’t want to leave Feyenoord without a replacement.
One year before I left for Liverpool, I was able to go to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the transfer market”, Kuyt told the KieftJansenEgmondGijp podcast.
“Spurs chairman Daniel Levy called, he wanted me.
“I thought that was a very strange moment to leave Feyenoord behind. Leaving Feyenoord without a striker, albeit with a bag of money.
“Then [agent] Rob Jansen and I decided together not to do that.”
Kuyt played for Liverpool until 2012, appearing 286 times and scoring 71 goals.
He quickly became a fans’ favourite because of his work ethic.
However, his stay at Liverpool wasn’t trophy-laden – winning just the EFL Cup.
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He left for Fenerbahce, where he won the league and became a hero in Turkey.
Kuyt spent his final playing years back at Feyenoord, helping the club win the Eredevisie in his last season as a professional.
Today, he is still in football – and is the current boss of Turkish Super Lig side Konyaspor.