New Liverpool boss Arne Slot is not the only one at Feyenoord who is skipping Tottenham and waiting for something else.
The Dutchman rejected Spurs’ offer for 2023 after leading Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title, leading to the signing of Ange Postecoglou in north London.
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Slot’s decision to delay his departure paid off as he got the job at Liverpool after Jürgen Klopp decided to step down at Anfield.
Who knows, maybe he spoke to Dirk Kuyt, a true Liverpool legend who joined the Reds from Feyenoord for £10 million in 2006.
Tottenham had tried to sign him a year earlier, but he was not willing to let his club down after finishing the 2004/05 season as top scorer with 29 goals.
In the podcast “Kieft Jansen Egmond Gijp” he said: “One year before I moved to Liverpool, I was able to move to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the transfer market.
“Spurs chairman Daniel Levy called and wanted me. I thought it was a very strange moment to leave Feyenoord. Leaving Feyenoord without a striker, albeit with a bag full of money.
“Then [agent] Rob Jansen and I decided together not to do that.”
When Kuyt left the Netherlands for the Premier League in 2006, Liverpool were at the forefront of signing him.
And it was Dutch legend Marco van Basten, then coach of the Dutch national team, who made it clear what a big change this move represented after they had beaten Milan a year earlier and won the 2005 Champions League.
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When he signed for Liverpool, Kuyt said: “Marco van Basten told me that this is a very good step not only for me but also for the Dutch team.”
“He thinks I’ve grown too big for football in Holland and need to move to a bigger club. And he thinks Liverpool is a good club for me.”
“It’s a dream that a club like Liverpool, with its history, wanted me. At the beginning of the week I was simply overwhelmed by the whole thing, now it’s a privilege to play for them.”
“I think my game suits England, I think I’m a typical Premier League type of player.
“I know there is a lot of competition up front, but that’s only good for the team. Not everyone can play 50 to 60 games per season.”
As it turned out, Kuyt became an integral part of the Liverpool team.
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In six seasons, he played 285 times in all competitions and missed only 20 Premier League games.
Liverpool fans adored Kuyt, who scored 71 goals and was part of their team that won the League Cup in 2012. He also scored in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat to Milan in 2007.
After ending his football career in 2017 after two years at Feyenoord, Kuyt devoted himself to coaching and is currently manager of the Belgian club Beerschot.
And Slot is hoping for a similar relationship with the fans as he looks to build on Klopp’s foundations at Anfield.