Durban – ‘He’s Czech, he’s great, he’s Paddy Berger’s mate! Vladimir, Vladimir!” That is how the Kop used to serenade Vladimir Smicer, the Czech attacking midfielder, during his six years at Anfield.
Soft spoken, but deadly at the business end of the pitch, Smicer’s time in England was blighted by injury, but he did have his moments.
“Injuries are a part of the game, sadly, but I loved every minute of my time at Liverpool,” he said during the club’s recent visit to South Africa.
“To be honest with you, just signing for Liverpool was the greatest day of my life,” he gushed, like a little boy.
Even in the cold corners of Prague, the Red flame burnt and Smicer found a hero in Liverpool’s greatest number seven, Kenny Dalglish.
“I promise you, that was my ultimate hero growing up. Kenny Dalglish.”
He admits that sharing the tag of Liverpool legend with “King Kenny” is surreal, and he treasures moments such as the recent Legends tour.
“It’s always a chance to catch up, to reminisce and also to listen. I have guys who played at the same time as me, but then you have the old guard. Some of their stories are just fantastic, and it is a real honour to be in the same dressing room.”
For many Liverpool fans, Smicer cemented a place in folklore with one glorious strike on that mad night in Istanbul. Of course, it was his final act for the Reds, with manager Rafa Benitez having decided not to renew his contract beyond 2005.
“There were no regrets and I was actually very relaxed for that last game. When Harry Kewell got injured, the manager called me over and told me to take it easy and reminded that we were 1-0 down, so we needed to attack more,” he explained.
“By half-time we were already 3-0 down.”
Deep in the bowels of Istanbul’s locker rooms, Benitez cajoled his charges, daring them to give at least one goal for the 40 000 travelling supporters to cheer about.
“We just needed one and Steven Gerrard got it. After that, the belief grew. And then I got my chance,” he smiled.
Even now, he modestly insists that all he could do was shoot, because he had no other option.
“It’s a good thing it went in, because I couldn’t see another pass,” he laughed.
“Then, to win on penalties, and to score one with my last kick for the club, was even more special.”
Smicer vaguely remembers Milan Baros and a few other players heading out for a night on the Turkish tiles after that, but the rest of the night is a beautiful maze of mystery.
“It was such a joyful time, we hardly slept. Suddenly we were at the airport, going back to Liverpool, with that famous trophy with the big ears.”
During his time there, Smicer won plenty of cups.
“Oh, it was a great time for the club. We won every cup on offer, including the treble of cups in 2001. It was only the league that we didn’t quite get, but it was still amazing to be a part of it.”
Smicer only scored 10 goals for Liverpool, but they tended to be collectors’ items, like a last-gasp winner against Chelsea, and a cracker in Europe against Borussia Dortmund. When fit, he formed a deadly alliance with Gerrard, then at his physical peak, marauding forward from midfield whenever he got the chance.
“I played with so many wonderful players at Liverpool, and they all remain friends of mine to this day. But Steven was definitely the best I ever played with. He was just the total footballer, who could do anything,” he said.
When Smicer left Liverpool, he had a spell at Bordeaux, before finishing his career where it had started, at Slavia Prague. Injury had the final say, as his knee continued to give him discomfort.
“The body tells you when it’s time, and even though I still wanted to play, I knew I couldn’t do it properly any more. This is why I enjoy coming to play for the Legends, because I can manage easier,” he smiled.
Happily, Smicer had a job offer the day after he retired from football.
The Czech Federation swooped in to offer the veteran of 80 international caps the role of sports manager for the national team.
“I’ve enjoyed it. I deal with everything else, off the pitch, and let the boss, Michal Bilek, worry about the football. It’s been four years now, but my contract is up in December,” he explained.
Smicer plans to take a break, to spend some quality time with his wife and two children, before looking to get back into it at the start of the next European season.
“Of course, I want to stay in football. Maybe look into managing a team somewhere,” he mused.
Vladimir, the manager?
Clearly, his beloved Kop will have to come up with a new song.
Sunday Tribune