14th December, 2020
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has paid tribute to Gerard Houllier who died on Monday at aged 73.
Owen noted that he was heartbroken and describe Houllier as a genuinely caring man.
“Absolutely heartbroken to hear that my old boss, Gérard Houllier, has sadly passed away. A great manager and a genuinely caring man,” Owen wrote on Twitter.
Former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher also heaped praises on Houllier.
He noted that he was “absolutely devastated” by the news of Houllier’s death.
The former defender wrote on Twitter: “I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool. Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person and as a player and got LFC back winning trophies. RIP Boss.”
Gerard Houllier adored Liverpool and his role in bringing glory days back to Anfield will never be overlooked.
The cup successes of 2001 made it one of the more remarkable years in the club’s history as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Charity Shield and European Super Cup.
Houllier not only gave supporters some wonderful memories, but he also helped restore Liverpool’s status among Europe’s elite.
For a generation of fans, the fallow period in the 1990s now feels like a blip but when Liverpool qualified for the Champions League in 2001, it took the club back into Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since the Heysel disaster of 1985.
Houllier’s avuncular appearance masked a steely determination. His high standards of professionalism helped to pave the way for the greater successes that were to follow under Rafa Benitez, making improvements at Melwood, modernising behaviour and tactics.
Liverpool’s second-place finish in the 2001/02 season was the club’s best in over a decade and would not be bettered for almost another two. His passion for the club lasted for the rest of his life – well beyond his departure in the summer of 2004.
There were later roles, including at Aston Villa. He will be remembered too for his work in developing a special generation of French talent at Clairefontaine, even being awarded the Legion d’honneur for his services to French football.
But it is for those memorable successes in 2001 – and the wide-eyed joy with which he greeted them – that British football will surely remember him best.