During Philipp Degen’s brief tenure at Liverpool, his name was yelled by Jamie Carragher.
Niko Kranjcar checks on Philipp Degen during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on January 20, 2010 (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
During Philipp Degen’s brief tenure at Liverpool, his name was yelled by Jamie Carragher.
When Rafa Benitez managed Liverpool, he had a habit of acquiring full-backs.
Upon his arrival in June 2004 from Valencia, the Spaniard made a move for his fellow countryman Josemi, whom he subsequently replaced with the obscure Jan Kromkamp eighteen months later.
He would splash a lot of money on players like Glen Johnson (£17 million) and Andrea Dossena (£8 million) from Udinese, and he would also look for cheap deals like Fabio Aurelio (who signed on a free transfer from Valencia) and Alvaro Arbeloa (a £2.5 million signing from Deportivo La Coruna).
During his tenure as Reds manager, Benitez brought in eight first team full-backs, frequently with varying degrees of success. While relatively few of those would go down in history for their achievements at Anfield, there was one full-back who might still be remembered by supporters who attended games between 2008 and 2010.
That’s because, every time the ball came close to him during his infrequent appearances in Liverpool’s starting lineup, the phrase “DEGEN” could be heard reverberating throughout Anfield in a high-pitched cry.
Philipp Degen most likely wouldn’t want that to remain in his Anfield legacy. However, following his 2008 transfer from Dortmund to the Reds, not much went well for him.
The Irishman would eventually transfer to Espanyol on loan, but the Swiss international, who made his breakthrough at Basel in his native country alongside his twin brother David, arrived with a reputation as a modern, attacking full-back who would offer an alternative to the safer combination of Arbeloa and Steve Finnan.
Furthermore, following Didi Hamann’s advice, Degen first pushed himself to get Benitez to consider him before Arbeloa. “I know there is a lot of competition for places, but it wasn’t hard to decide to come here,” he remarked.
That works for me, and I’m just excited about the task. I’m not here to be a bench warmer, and I’ll be putting in a lot of effort in both practise and competition to earn a spot.”
However, Degen’s luck ran out for him almost immediately at Anfield as he broke two ribs against Crewe in the League Cup on his full Liverpool debut, having played in the preseason and sustained an injury at Dortmund.
He played again against Spurs in the same competition two months later, but he sustained a foot injury. The Reds finished second that season, and he did not play again.
The following season, Degen would have a more fruitful year although Liverpool struggled on the pitch, making up to 11 appearances.
And that’s when fans would start to recognise the cry “DEGEN” from the stands. Vice captain of Liverpool and the man responsible for leading from the back for the Reds, Carragher was not one to put up with any incompetence, and Degen, who played beside him, frequently received an earful from him.
At one point, both men witnessed themselves being shown the red card as Liverpool lost badly to Fulham, 3-1.
And later on in the season, in January, after falling to the ground hurt in the last minutes of a match against Tottenham Hotspur, Degen was the target of a verbal barrage from Carragher.
Confused, Carragher ordered his team-mate to get up and get on with it in quite clear terms. He then went on to say that there was “nothing wrong with him” and repeated the advice to Liverpool’s puzzled physiotherapist. Most people inside Anfield that night undoubtedly heard it.
When Degen was questioned about Carragher’s guidance, he put on a brave front and maintained that everything was just a necessary learning curve.
“Carra has been a big influence, particularly in the last two games at Stoke and against Tottenham,” he stated. “He yells at me, giving me instructions on where to stand and what to do. He holds great significance for both of us. There are instances when you can see more clearly when you are behind a man. This is really helpful and excellent.
He went on, “I’m a little sore! However, because I have been away for so long, it feels nearly entirely fresh to me. Although I had a really difficult first year here, I never lost concentration. All I wanted to do was carry on and lend a hand when I could.
There were occasionally some really strong tackles, but I persisted. I’m sure I can keep becoming better, but there are still some things I need to learn. For me, that’s crucial if I want to support the squad.
Degen didn’t start a game for Liverpool or that season, and his contract was terminated in the summer to enable him to join Stuttgart, so it didn’t really help him.
And although he may have been forgotten by Liverpool fans for a long time, he did exact some revenge on Carragher when Basel defeated the Reds in the Champions League at Anfield in 2014.
“Thought the night couldn’t get any worse but it has, Phillip Degen is now warming up in front of me,” Carragher would say on Twitter.
Later, he would go on to become a successful football agent, and he asserted that prior to Jude Bellingham joining Dortmund, Liverpool was among the clubs that expressed interest in him.
Yes, the old wounds will have healed long ago. Hopefully, Degen’s ears are no longer ringing as well.
