Dirk Kuyt may be on his way but Liverpool FC will never forget him
- by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
- Jun 6 2012
Dirk Kuyt celebrates his 111th minute penalty against Arsenal
DIRK KUYT'S Liverpool FC career may be over but his bond with the club's supporters will never be broken. The Dutchman has brought the curtain down on his six-year stay in Merseyside to embark on a new challenge in Turkey with Fenerbahce.
Few players walk away from Anfield with their reputation on the Kop firmly intact but Kuyt has managed it.
Respected and admired in equal measure, his decision to move on disappointed many but there's also a sense of understanding.
Kuyt is 32 next month and having fallen down the pecking order last season he couldn't face the prospect of another campaign on the fringes.
His mind was already made up prior to the appointment of Brendan Rodgers and the new boss was helpless to prevent Kuyt leaving.
He was able to invoke a clause in his contract which allowed him to sign for a club abroad this summer for just £1million and the lure of Champions League football with Fenerbahce led to him agreeing a three-year deal.
* Read more: Dirk Kuyt's top ten Liverpool FC moments in pictures and video
Since his departure was confirmed on Sunday, Kuyt has been inundated with messages of support from Reds fans.
"The people from Liverpool – the text messages, the phone calls, the e-mails, all the tweets I had on my Twitter account – it's unbelievable how much respect they showed me and it's also a bit emotional," Kuyt admitted.
"They wished me good luck and they said that they will miss me.
"My last season at Liverpool wasn't the best one and I thought that I should have played more.
"After six years, I just had a feeling I needed to change something in my career, a new experience, a new country, new people around me, and that's why I made the decision to leave."
In truth the goodbyes had already been exchanged after the final game of the season at Swansea City last month.
A giant banner in the away end proclaimed 'Dirk Kuyt – Nice One La' and the frontman went over to the travelling Kop, clapping them and patting his badge.
As was so often the case over the past six years, Kuyt was the last Reds player to leave the pitch. Only this time it was clear that his 285th appearance for the club was his farewell.
His love for Liverpool still burned bright but over the previous nine months his spirits had been dented by the acute frustration of slipping from his established role as a linchpin of the side to being a squad player under Kenny Dalglish.
Having lost his spot on the right flank, Kuyt grew tired of watching on from the bench as the likes of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson struggled to impress. Some 19 of his 44 appearances last season came as a substitute and justifiably he felt harshly treated.
Yet, typically, Kuyt never rocked the boat and channelled his energies into making the most of the opportunities he was given.
Denied a consistent run in the team, he scored just five goals during his last season with the Reds. But he continued to display the tireless work ethic and pride in the shirt which made him a cult hero following his arrival for £9million from Feyenoord in the summer of 2006.
At Anfield back in January he came off the bench to slam home a glorious late winner against Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
A month later under Wembley's giant arch came the crowning moment of his Liverpool career.
Kuyt had come to Anfield to win trophies and the silverware drought was ended in dramatic fashion in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff City.
For 103 minutes he had to sit and watch as Liverpool toiled before he was introduced in extra-time. His impact was immense, providing an energy and sense of purpose which had previously been lacking.
Kuyt swept the Reds into a 2-1 lead and then produced a miraculous goalline clearance, only for the Bluebirds to hit back and force penalties.
Unperturbed, Kuyt coolly netted again in the shoot-out and finally he had a winner's medal to show for his loyal service.
He savoured every second of that triumph. Long after his team-mates had departed, Kuyt was still on the Wembley touchline posing for photographs with the trophy and his family.
"All that matters is trophies and this feels like a gold medal," Kuyt beamed.
"If you want to be remembered as a football player you need to win trophies. You can say the Carling Cup is not the most important trophy but for me today it is the most important one.
"Wembley is now a special place for me. To be involved in a final here, score and play an important part is something I won't forget for the rest of my life."
On that memorable afternoon in the capital Kuyt once again proved himself to be the man for the big occasion. That had been evident soon after Rafa Benitez swooped to secure his services in 2006.
Kuyt may not have been able to match his prolific strike rate in Holland where he scored 83 goals in 122 games for Feyenoord but his all-round contribution ensured he was an instant hit.
He scored 14 goals in his debut season, including the penalty in the shoot-out which booked Liverpool's passage to the Champions League final at Chelsea's expense. He also netted the consolation in the final defeat to Milan.
The death of his father hit him hard and affected his form in 2007/08 but he still scored 11 times. There was a match-winning derby brace at Goodison and vital strikes in Europe against the likes of Inter Milan and Arsenal.
Having been turned from a striker into a right-sided midfielder, Kuyt was often the provider rather than the finisher but the following season he bagged another 15 goals in all competitions as the Reds finished second in the Premier League.
In 2009/10 he missed just three of Liverpool's 56 matches, scoring 11 times, and then in 2010/11 he hit a hot streak following the appointment of Dalglish in place of Roy Hodgson.
With 15 goals, including 13 in the league, he finished the season as the Reds' top scorer. The highlight was a glorious hat-trick in the rout of Manchester United at Anfield.
But following last summer's influx of expensive new arrivals, Kuyt found himself sidelined and his confidence took a dent.
It was late January before the Holland international belatedly ended an eight-month wait for his 50th Premier League strike in the victory at Wolves. His Wembley heroics ensured he deservedly had something tangible to show for all those hours of hard toil.
Kuyt was a player who epitomised the team ethic and his professionalism and unselfishness made him a shining example to youngsters coming through.
"I had six wonderful years at Liverpool and it was a pleasure to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and the best supporters in the world," he said.
"I'd like to thank everyone for all the support they gave me and I will miss them. Liverpool will always be in my heart."
The feeling is mutual. Kuyt may be gone but his contribution will never be forgotten.
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