Steven Gerrard may go down as the greatest midfielder in Liverpool’s history, but that title could have belonged to a different man had the Reds secured Michael Laudrup’s signature in 1983.
Laudrup was all set to join the Anfield club from Brondby, but Liverpool’s last-minute insistence to increase the length of the contract from three to four years killed the deal.
It was a desperate loss to Merseyside – and English football. The great Dane went on to grace Serie A with Lazio and Juventus, before moving to La Liga in the truly beguiling years of his peak.
Laudrup was two-parts Zinedine Zidane, one-part Johan Cruyff, able to beat players with his intricate footwork, incredible acceleration, and the subtlest shift in bodyweight.
His vision, weight of pass and touch were sublime. Every movement was a masterclass, with many still considering him the greatest technician of all-time.
If the Dane’s prowess could be distilled into a single motion it would be his famous La croqueta move; the act of passing the ball from one foot to the other, and then slaloming past an opponent in a single seamless motion.
It looks and sounds incredibly simple, but it’s a skill few have perfected. Andrés Iniesta is one to master the art, using it to evade hapless lunges with devastating simplicity.
La croqueta requires exquisite two-footed technique, speed of action and thought, and above all great balance. In an age of showy ‘tekkers’ and fancy tricks, Laudrup’s trademark survives as an ageless act of deft beauty.
Everything about the Dane seemed effortless, and perhaps it was. His regality belied a talent so honed that it almost appeared normal; perhaps that’s why he’s often absent from ubiquitous best-ever lists.
Laudrup won four league titles as the star man of Barcelona’s original ‘dream team’, then joined arch-rivals Real Madrid, instantly winning another La Liga crown. It was a feat as ridiculous as it is historic.
He is the man who beat Real 5-0 for Barca one year, and then inspired mirror-image revenge for Real the next. Same score, same star, different winner.
The ten-goal goal turnaround from one El Clasico to the next led Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff to exclaim:Â “When Michael plays like a dream, a magic illusion, determined to show his new team his extreme abilities, no one in the world comes anywhere near his level.”
That’s the famously stubborn Johan Cruyff, speaking in begrudging awe of a treacherous former charge. But then few could deny Laudrup’s genius.
It’s difficult to explain why he isn’t listed among the modern greats quite as readily as others. Michel Platini, his teammate at Juve, blames the Dane’s selflessness, suggesting he didn’t pursue personal glory enough.
But Pep Guardiola, a disciple of Laudrup’s at the Nou Camp, perhaps put it best:Â “The Ballon D’or is worth nothing because Michael Laudrup never won it.”
Not only did the Dane never claim the prize, he didn’t once appear in the top three. Still, being the inaugural member of JOE’s 90s Heroes surely makes up for the oversight…
