John Arne Riise was Gerard Houllier's only summer signing in 2001 after completing his £4m move from Monaco, despite interest from Fulham boss Jean Tigana.
Riise made his debut in Liverpool's pre-season freidnly against Bayer Leverkusen, and the left-sided defensive midfielder looked impressive.
"Riise is a player with immense talent," said Houllier. "He is a good, young, exciting prospect and that is why we have brought him to the club."
The Norwegian has impressed in his first two seasons at Liverpool, defended well when needed and scored some fantastic goals, most noteably against Manchester United.
With his own song, regularly copied but never bettered by rival clubs, Riise has become a fan favourite at Anfield.
He has improved under Rafa Benitez, getting into attacking positions more regularly and being rewarded with more than his fair share of important goals.