Steve Finnan : The Unsung Irish Hero of LFC

Finnan joined Liverpool in the summer of 2003, for a fee of £3.5million, and although he struggled to impress under Gerard Houllier in his first season, he was clearly rated by Rafael Benitez when he took charge in the summer of 2004.
The Republic of Ireland international became a vital player in the Premier League and in Europe as Liverpool surprisingly won the Champions League in 2005.
The right-back faced competition for his place in January 2006 when Liverpool strengthened their defence with the signings of Jan Kromkamp and Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rey Josemi.
But Finnan's solid defensive work and eagerness to attack down the flank proved too good for his challengers, who were forced to move away from Liverpool to get regular first team football.
The arrival of Alvaro Arbelo in 2007 posed another threat to Finnan but once again the Irishman fought off the challenge and ended the season as first choice right-back in his second European Cup final in May.
However, during the 2007/08 Arbelo began to emerge as a real alternative and following the arrival of fullback Philipp Degen from Borussia Dortmund, Finnan was linked with a move away from Anfield. He is now with Espanyol.
Finnan is famously the only player to have played in every English football league, from the Conference to the Premier League. He began his career in non-league football with Welling United and, as a 19-year-old, signed for Birmingham City in a £100,000 deal in the summer of 1995.
He struggled to breakthrough at St Andrews, making just 22 appearances before moving to Notts County.
Some fine performances soon had Kevin Keegan interested, and in November 1998 Finnan joined the Fulham revolution for £600,000. He made his debut in a 2-1 home win against Chesterfield, and scored his first goal in a 4-0 hammering of Blackpool.
The Irishman's reputation continued to grow and before long he won full international honours with the Republic of Ireland. He travelled to the 2002 World Cup with his country but has since retired from international football.
Finnan was one of the outstanding players in Fulham's rise to the Premiership, and was unfazed when mixing it with the big boys.
As the 2002/03 season came to a close, Finnan's transfer to Liverpool was one of the game's worst kept secrets. He made 209 appearances for Fulham, scoring seven goals.

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utusanLFC :
Finnan has always been our unsung hero. What the hell does `unsung' meant? Its someone who rarely speak to the press, no serious tackles that warrant spotlight trusted unto you or a spit on someone's face (hello Diouf!), no scandals.. and no nothing. All we know is that Finnan is a loyal servant to LFC. When he played, he did it with full of his heart. Now he is in La Liga. Funny he had to ply his trade in the Iberian peninsular when there is a massive influx of Spanish players now in LFC. But again... Finnan, THANK YOU!