Michael Laudrup is fondly remembered as one of the greatest players of his generation and one of Denmark’s finest exports.
The playmaker spent the best part of two decades dazzling across Europe for the likes of Lazio, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, winning league titles in three countries and earning 104 caps for his country.
Laudrup’s storied career never took him to England, although a Sliding Doors moment in the early 1980s almost saw him snapped up by the all-conquering Liverpool side of that era.
Laudrup on his mooted Anfield move
“Yes, that’s true,” the 61-year-old tells FourFourTwo when asked if an Anfield move was once on the cards.
“I liked Liverpool as I was watching them in the 1970s – English football was on Danish TV. It was great when they invited me over there for a meeting – I went with my father and they proposed a three-year contract, to which we agreed.
“Once we were back in Denmark I started telling people that I was going to Liverpool. Around two weeks later, they contacted my father and said, “We’ve been talking about it internally and given that Michael’s very young, we think he needs a season to adapt, so we think we should make it a three-plus-one contract – four years in total.”
“My father said that was OK, but Liverpool then told him it would be for the same terms as the previously agreed three-year deal. I was keen to join them as Liverpool were one of the best sides in Europe at the time, but I felt it wasn’t fair.
“I agreed that I needed some time to adapt, but then we should make a new arrangement. They probably assumed that I’d sign anyway.
“What they didn’t know was that my father’s old coach was a friend of the president of Juventus, and they also wanted me.
“They said, “We’ll give you a four-year contract, where you’ll stay at Brondby for one season before coming to us in Turin.” I was fine with that arrangement and signed.
“I never came close to joining another English team, but I have no regrets about it, I’m happy with how my career turned out.”
