Sami Hyypia was signed by Gerard Houllier to help overcome Liverpool's defensive problems.
A strong, mature player, Hyypia captained Willem II to second place in the Dutch league, guaranteeing them qualification for the Champions League.
Despite this he chose to join Liverpool and has turned out to be an excellent centre-back, in a style similar to Alan Hansen.
Standing in as captain in the absence of Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler during most of the 2000/01 season, Hyypia rose to the challenge, proving his leadership abilities and maturity at top level.
He was the obvious choice to take over the club captaincy when Redknapp left and, despite a few mediocre performances, had another good season during 2002/03.
When Houllier passed the captain's armband onto Steven Gerrard, Hyypia accepted the decision well and has been able to focus more on his own game.
Now Jamie Carragher is a regular fixture alongside Hyypia at the back, his game has improved again.