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Former Liverpool player has ‘no apologies’ for controversial decision to join
Everton
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the former coach admitted he had ‘jumped’ at the chance to join the Toffees, despite his previous allegiance to their bitter rivals. Born in Liverpool, Sammy Lee made almost 300 appearances in an eleven year spell with the Reds. The former midfielder won four league titles, four League Cups and two European Cups. However, the 64-year-old was willing to throw his relationship with the Liverpool supporters away when he linked up with Sam Allardyce at Everton.
The pair had worked together at a number of clubs in the past, but many were left shocked when he chose to join Allardyce’s coaching staff following Ronald Koeman’s sacking.
While Lee knew he would be criticized, he had no problem joining Everton once the ‘passion was gone’ from his time at Anfield.
“He got the opportunity to go there, and he wanted to take me with him, so I jumped at it. I knew the problems that were going to come. I knew the criticism that was going to come.
”The way I look at it, I have a number of passions in my life: my family is the main one, football, and the city. I have just been fortunate to pursue my passion at the club I love, which is Liverpool Football Club, both as a player and a coach.
“But when that passion is gone, you have to move on and go somewhere else. I was given a chance at Crystal Palace and also at Everton.
“I jumped at the chance to join Everton because one of my other passions is the city, and when we went to Everton, they were 16th in the table.
“But Sam, his backroom staff, and the players got together, mingled together, gelled together and we got to eighth. I was very, very proud of that because, in my humble opinion, you need the two teams in the city in the Premiership.
Did Sammy Lee make the right decision to join Everton?
Sammy Lee and Sam Allardyce only spent six months at Everton – much to the latter’s frustration, as he went onto claim he could have achieved European qualification if he had stayed.
Sammy Lee’s move to Everton was one that was extremely surprising.
The 64-year-old’s claims that ‘the passion was gone’ from Liverpool is hard to understand given that he grew up with the Reds and supported them as a boy.
But each to their own, if he wanted to lose his reputation at Anfield to move to Goodison Park then that is his decision. Though he probably didn’t intend on it being such a short stay.
You can only assume he will still be cheering on the red half of the Merseyside derby this weekend.
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