Didi Hamann has revealed that David Moyes tried to sign him for Everton, but the German midfielder refused to risk his Liverpool legacy by joining the club's bitter rivals.
Hamann spent seven years at Anfield, playing 280 times in all competitions after joining from Newcastle in 1999. He was a key figure in Liverpool's 2005 Champions League final victory over AC Milan, playing through the pain of a broken foot, and also won two FA Cups, two League Cups, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup during his spell.
Hamann's final season at Liverpool
In his final campaign at the club, under Rafael Benitez, Hamann found himself on the fringes, playing just 17 Premier League games. At 33, he was playing second fiddle to Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in midfield, and it was agreed he could find a new club.
His availability caught the eye of Moyes, whose Everton side had just finished 11th in the Premier League. Moyes was keen to bring Hamann's experience to Goodison Park, but the midfielder was not interested.
Moyes' approach and Hamann's response
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport, via MrQ, Hamann said: "David Moyes did try to sign me. He spoke to me, but obviously, after spending so many years at Liverpool, it wasn't really an option I could take."
Hamann also explained that Benitez had told him he wanted to sign a winger, believed to be Jermaine Pennant, and that Gerrard would play more centrally, meaning Hamann would get fewer chances. He said: "That season before, I think I played about 35 games. It didn't feel like that because I came off the bench for quite a few of them. So, yeah, in the end I left on good terms with Rafa and Liverpool. I left the club after seven years and had a fantastic time there. It was the right time."
Bolton saga and Manchester City move
After leaving Liverpool, Hamann signed a pre-contract agreement with Bolton Wanderers under Sam Allardyce, but he pulled out of the deal to join Manchester City instead. City paid £400,000 in compensation to Bolton, despite Hamann technically being a Bolton player for just one day.
On the saga, Hamann said: "I committed to Bolton for Big Sam, but when I signed the contract, I got a call from Manchester City. Stuart Pearce, who was my team-mate at Newcastle, was the manager of City at the time. And then, obviously, I wanted to go to City. You can imagine that when we told Big Sam, he wasn't too pleased. He really wasn't too happy with it. But in the end, Bolton got a transfer fee for me, even though I never played a game for them. So I think, in the end, we all shook hands and were reasonably happy, shall we say."
Hamann played for Manchester City for three years before a brief spell at MK Dons in League One, where he retired in 2011.
