Whatever happened to Patrik Berger?
fantastic left foot and his ability to shoot from long range, but what happened after the Czech midfielder left Anfield in 2003?
Berger was born in Prague in the then Czechoslovakia and followed in his uncle’s footsteps, Jan Berger, into football. He was part of Czechoslovakia’s Under 16 side which won the European Championships in 1990 and was quickly snapped up by Slavia Prague on a professional deal
at 17, after city rivals Sparta had nurtured the youngster through their youth ranks. After spending four
years with Slavia, Ottmar Hitzfield spotted the young Czech midfielder and signed him for Borussia Dortmund in 1995. In his only season in Germany, despite starting mostly from the bench and playing in an unaccustomed defensive midfield position, Berger played 25 times in the
league and scored 4 goals as Dortmund won the Bundesliga title.
His impressive performances in Euro 1996, which included scoring a penalty in the final against Germany, made him a target for top European clubs, including Liverpool. His play impressed manager Roy Evans enough to bid 3.25million for the midfielder, a bid which was accepted and the player joined the team for the start of the 1996/1997
season. After missing most of August with a calf injury, Berger came to life in September as he scored 5 goals in 4 outings, including 2 against Leicester City and two against Chelsea. He was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for September, an incredible achievement considering he had only made his debut for the club on the
7th September against Southampton.
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