Wanted by both Manchester United and Liverpool back in 1989, Glenn Hysén eventually chose the latter of the pair to try his hand at what was then known as the First Division.
Staying three years at Anfield, where he played under both Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness with differing amounts of success, the centre-back was a key member of the last Reds squad to win England’s top division back in 1989-90.
Now, 30 years on, Liverpool are on the verge of finally winning the Premier League (as we know it) for the first time, holding a 25 point lead over Manchester City, but with the Covid-19 pandemic currently taking over the world, everything has been put on hold and there are doubts as to whether or not the season will be finished.
Hysén was signed from Fiorentina, where he had played for two years, and so Gazzetta dello Sport decided to have a chat with him about that 1989-90 season, and what it was like to be a part of the last Liverpool team to win the league.
He said: “I have beautiful memories of that team: a fantastic group. The year before, the title had escaped them by incredibly losing against Arsenal on the last day. There was a desire for revenge and the Hillsborough tragedy was fresh. As soon as I landed in Liverpool, my teammates took me to visit the injured in hospitals. Dalglish was incredible: he met all the patients, spending whole afternoons with the survivors of the massacre.
“Before starting the season, he made this speech: we must win for these people who risked their lives for us. It was a good duel with Aston Villa, a tough nut to crack, but Liverpool were superior. Barnes scored 22 goals and was perhaps the best ever, then there were Rush, Nicol, Hansen.
“Dalglish was extraordinary: in times of difficulty, he gave us the right push. I spent three splendid years at Liverpool. Entering the pitch with the notes of You’ll Never Walk Alone hypes you in an incredible way. You have already won before playing”.
Following his time at Liverpool, Hysén returned to Sweden to play for GAIS for two years before retiring.
He then tried his hand at management for a couple of years, taking over at Utsiktens BK between 2010 and 2012.
