🙌 Liverpool cult heroes: Dirk Kuyt | OneFootball

Before the arrival of Fernando Torres in 2007, Liverpool had a lot of difficulty finding a new number nine to replace the golden era of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.

Dirk Kuyt was one of the attempts by Rafael Benitez to become the Kop’s new golden boy.

The Dutch forward arrived for a fee of £10 million from Feyenoord in August 2006 having just bagged 118 goals in 195 appearances for the Eredivisie side.

Liverpool supporters were excited that they were welcoming the arrival of one of the hottest strikers in Europe.

Reflecting on how well some of the Netherlands’ greatest exports had performed in the Premier League, supporters were convinced they had bought a Ruud Van Nistlerooy and not another Mateja Kezman.

Kuyt went on to be adored at Anfield, but not for being one of the club’s most clinical strikers.

Benitez realised that Kuyt was never going to be prolific enough to be a lone striker in a team aiming to win the title, but he did have enough about him to contribute to the team.

The Spaniard moulded him into a right inside forward/winger in his 4-2-3-1 formation and the Dutch international was hardly out of the side.

He had an impeccable attitude and desire to run himself into the ground which endeared him to the Liverpool faithful.

Kuyt simply never stopped running, and although his technical abilities were somewhat limited, his desire and commitment to the cause never were.

He always had a taste for the big moment as well.

The winning penalty against Chelsea to send Liverpool through to the 2007 Champions League final was preceded by two decisive spot-kicks to win the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park in a game where the Reds were awful.

There was also the most glorious hat-trick of all time against Manchester United at Anfield in 2011, becoming the first Liverpool player to score a league hat-trick against their arch rivals in 21 years.

The beauty of it as well.

After Luis Suárez’s work of art beating what seemed like the entire United team near the by-line, Kuyt latched onto a ball already rolling into the net to steal a goal in the most scheming of ways.

The following two goals were both inside the six-yard-box as well.

This was the perfect example of describing Kuyt’s time at Liverpool.

No ifs, no buts, no thrills, no spills. Nothing fancy, the ball is in the back of the net, it’s done.

A big game as well? Fantastic, that was his bread and butter.

A goal return of 71 goals in 285 appearances in the end wasn’t too bad for a player who predominantly operated on the right of midfield.

Liverpool didn’t get the player they thought they were buying.

However, they did end up falling in love with the one that turned up.