Reds go Dutch with swoop for ‘icon’ Kuyt

LIVERPOOL have acquired an “icon” who will prove he is more than just a World Cup finals flop.

As Liverpool tie up the final details of Dirk Kuyt’s medical and contract, the 26-year-old received a glowing reference from the club he is leaving in a near £10 million (€14 million) deal.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been trailing Kuyt for two years, but many doubted his judgement after witnessing Kuyt’s poor performances for Holland in Germany 2006.

But, as Benitez takes his spending in eight months to £34m (€50m), Feyenoord spokesman Zido Gader insisted the player he called an “icon” would live up to his transfer fee.

Newcastle failed in a desperate late bid to hijack the deal, at the same time as Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was in Rotterdam clinching the deal and Kuyt was flying in to Merseyside for his medical.

But the cloud of his unimpressive World Cup form worried many observers despite the fact Kuyt has scored 71 goals in 101 appearances for the club.

Gader said: “He is an icon here at Feyenoord, the biggest player, the most popular player with the fans, he was the image of the club.

“We are sure he will succeed at Liverpool. Every time he has moved up a level people expect him to fail, but he never does.

“He didn’t when he moved to us from Utrecht and he didn’t when he started playing for the national side. And he will not fail in Liverpool.”

Kuyt looks like the final key element in Benitez’s summer transformation at the club, where a steady stream of players have left — 18 in all — and the Spanish boss has amassed plenty of attacking options.

Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Pennant, Mark Gonzalez and now Kuyt will give Benitez pace and goals while Fabio Aurelio and Gabriel Paletta offer defensive strength and experience. And if you add young Danish centre back Daniel Agger, who cost £5.8m (€8.5m) in January, the Liverpool boss pushed the club’s purse strings to the very limit.

Even if you add in the proposed £8m (€11m) Liverpool will eventually get for Djibril Cisse after his loan and permanent transfer have been completed at Marseille, Benitez has only clawed in little more than £14m (€20m) this summer.

Despite the pressure, Gader believes Kuyt will be a big hit at Anfield.

He said: “Since Dirk arrived here three years ago he has always been the icon of the club, the best runner, best worker and good in front of the goal.

“He’s always working for the team and a great captain of the side. He is the most popular player and Liverpool are getting a great deal and we are sorry to see him go.

“Every time he moves to a higher level people expect him to fail. It was the same with the Dutch national team, he got selected ahead of a lot of great strikers like Patrick Kluivert and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink.

“I am sure Dirk after a period of adaptation, will fit in just fine at Liverpool.”

Kuyt played in the second half of Holland’s 4-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday before travelling on to Merseyside for what is a straight cash deal, with no player exchange as Liverpool first wanted.

Feyenoord rejected Liverpool’s initial bid of £8m (€11m), so Liverpool went back to Feyenoord this week with a hard offer, with the fee expected to be phased so Liverpool can afford the money.

Kuyt, who rejected a move to Newcastle, said: “Liverpool is the dream club I was looking for. There was more interest from abroad, but for me there was nothing of the calibre of Liverpool, a brilliant club with an enormous reputation and fantastic empathetic support — and a fabulous history. It is an honour to play for a club like that.

“I have experienced three great years in Rotterdam, despite not winning any major prizes. The crowd continued to adopt a positive attitude in spite of that. I respect all the people at the club. That is why I consider it an honour that the chairman wanted to see me back at De Kuip.”