Liverpool were keen on adding experienced winners to their team in 1997, having picked up just one League Cup since the advent of the Premier League five years before.
Boasting a squad containing the likes of Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Paul Ince, and a young Michael Owen, Liverpool still wanted to add proven quality as they targeted a title tilt.
Manager Roy Evans called upon the experience of Karl-Heinz Riedle, fresh from winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund and, at 31, had the experience and ability to inspire the squad to make that next step in the Premier League. For Riedle, the decision became easy once he realised his days at Dortmund were numbered under new management.
Liverpool players didn't enjoy Riedle's initiation...
"After winning the Champions League, we went to a training camp during pre-season, and there had been rumours that Dortmund were struggling financially and were looking for money," Riedle exclusively tells FourFourTwo.
"For me, it was a good time to make a move, as I was already 31, and maybe the club also thought that it was the right time to sell me if they wanted to get some money for me. Then my agent called me to ask whether I would be keen to go to Liverpool. It sounded special and I was happy to go. Also, I wasn’t really getting along with our new coach at Dortmund [Nevio Scala], who had replaced Ottmar Hitzfeld after the final.
"It was quite strange from the beginning, because I had maybe my best pre-season ever in Switzerland – I was on fire – but I continuously ended up in the reserve team.
"There was a striker who had never played before and he was playing in my position. That made me think that something was going on. In hindsight, the decision was really good for me: it was an incredible experience to go to Liverpool and later Fulham. I spent the last four years of my career in England, so I never regretted it."
In signing for Liverpool, Riedle became the club's first German player in their history. In order to recognise his nationality, Riedle sung a song from his homeland for his initiation, though it wasn't best-received.
"It was a tradition that every new player had to sing at the Christmas party," Riedle adds. "I don’t remember the song I sang – I think it was a Bavarian song – but it didn’t last long, because after not even 30 seconds, I got all of the beer over my head. That was it!
"It was a very wild party anyway, where a lot of strange stuff happened. I think that was the last Christmas party Liverpool had at that time…"
