Jimmy Case on Geoff Nulty. Steven Gerrard on Gary Naysmith. Jordan Pickford on Virgil van Dijk. The Merseyside derby is no stranger to memorable challenges, but Dirk Kuyt’s flying tackle on Phil Neville in 2007 might just take top spot.
Tempers were running high after a controversial penalty to Liverpool, which Kuyt slotted past Everton’s Tim Howard in the 54th minute, and things were soon taken up a notch by the Dutchman 10 minutes later.
As Neville went to clear a loose ball, Kuyt careered towards him, leaping into the air with both legs outstretched in a fashion more reminiscent of a scissor kick than a tackle.
Somehow, Neville avoided the majority of contact and, somehow, Kuyt was only awarded a yellow card by Mark Clattenburg.
Kuyt would go on to score his second penalty of the game in the last minute to secure a famous 2-1 win and secure his place in Merseyside folklore.
Kuyt tells Telegraph Sport: “I was very lucky to come away from that because if I had a red card, I would not have managed to score the winning goal. It’s crazy when you play these kinds of games because there’s a lot of adrenalin, a lot of emotion. You want to fight so hard for your shirt, you want to give everything and manage whatever needs to be done.
“I flew through the air and thank God there was no VAR there at the time. When I was in the air, I knew I was way too late and I was on the point of doing something crazy. I tried to hold my legs inside me just to be lucky not to touch him. I think I was very lucky not to get the red card.”
That was also the consensus at the time, but only added to his reputation amongst the red side of Liverpool when the winner followed.
Kuyt joined Liverpool in 2006 and went on to make nearly 300 appearances for the club, forging a reputation for hard work and being the ultimate team player by covering a variety of positions.
Now 44, Kuyt returned to Anfield just over a week ago to play in a legends match to raise money for the Liverpool Foundation. A Peter Crouch double helped a Liverpool side containing Steven Gerrard to a 2-0 win over Chelsea. And Kuyt got quite the reception.
“I think everyone who has been a Liverpool player, or been involved in any situation, like a coach, is part of a big family. One thing I really like about Liverpool is that you always get so respected and the people will remember you for ever,” Kuyt explains.
“For me, the best moment was reaching the Champions League final in 2007. We had many special nights at Anfield playing the Champions League, but that semi-final we played against Chelsea, when [Jose] Mourinho was the coach and [Rafael] Benítez was ours, was something really special.
“We lost our first game at Stamford Bridge 1-0 and we had to win the game at least 1-0 with the away [goals] situation, so we couldn’t concede or else we had to score two goals or more.
“We managed to win that game on a very special night with the crowd fully behind us. We won the game 1-0 in 90 minutes then I scored an onside goal, which was given offside, in extra time. Finally I had the privilege to score the winning penalty which got us to the final. To be part of that night and a very special campaign was unforgettable.”
Another Merseyside derby will take place on Wednesday and, flying tackle aside, Kuyt looks back on those games especially fondly.
“For the city and for the supporters, it means so much, so these were the best games to play for me. The Liverpool-Everton derby, or the game with Manchester United. They were the biggest games in the league,” says Kuyt.
“They were tough games and there was a lot of tension in the stadium. But I have good memories at Goodison Park, because I scored many goals there. There’s a lot of tension on and off the pitch, but once the game is over there is respect for each other. And that’s how football should be. It’s a war for 90 minutes, and after you shake hands and life goes on.”
Kuyt is now in the early days of a managerial career. He is currently in charge of Belgian side Beerschot, who he led back into the top division last season. However, their relegation was confirmed last weekend.
“That promotion is something I’m really proud of in my early stages as a manager, but we have now been relegated and that feels very tough,” says Kuyt.
“Losing is never nice. But seeing the circumstances, what the players did and the supporters who stood behind us from the first minute until the last, I think we did everything we could. In football, sometimes you need more than to be successful. It was a challenging year and, although it feels very hard at the moment, it is a very good experience which will only help me become better as a coach.”
The former Dutch international admits he has found coaching harder than he expected.
“It’s very challenging and I think to be a coach is something totally different than being a football player,” he says. “I love to be working with young people who want to be their best possible self. I love to still be involved in football. I always said that being a football player is living the dream and, after you retire, you want to come as close to that feeling.
“You’re just one step away from being on the pitch. The only other thing I could do is be a referee, but I like to stay away from that!”
Kuyt is not entirely surprised his former club have succeeded so quickly under compatriot Arne Slot, having shadowed him when he was at Feyenoord while he was their under-19 coach. Would he like to follow in Slot’s footsteps at Liverpool one day?
“Of course, it’s a dream to come back to Anfield. But at this moment, I like to dream in shorter steps.”
Merseyside derby’s most famous tackles
September 1999: Liverpool 0 Everton 1
Steven Gerrard’s knee-high tackle on Kevin Campbell brought an instant red card. Campbell had the last laugh as he scored the winning goal.
December 2002: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Gerrard caught Gary Naysmith with an ugly two-footed lunge. The Liverpool midfielder was not even shown a yellow card by Graham Poll but apologised to Naysmith after the game.
March 2005: Liverpool 2 Everton 1
Milan Baros’ was shown a red card after his tackle connected with the knee of Everton defender Alan Stubbs, who later claimed it could have ended his career.
March 2006: Liverpool 3 Everton 1
Gerrard was shown a second yellow card for a reckless two-footed chop on Kevin Kilbane from the side.
September 2008: Everton 0 Liverpool 2
The red mist descended for Everton midfielder Tim Cahill with 10 minutes of the match to go, scything down Xabi Alonso with a wild lunge.
April 2016: Liverpool 4 Everton 0
An ill-tempered Merseyside derby boiled over when Ramiro Funes Mori stamped on Divock Origi just above the ankle, leading to the Argentine’s dismissal.
October 2020: Everton 2 Liverpool 2
Jordan Pickford became a hate figure for Liverpool fans when his ill-judged lunge took out Virgil van Dijk, leaving the Liverpool defender sidelined for the rest of the season with damaged anterior cruciate ligaments.
