Dietmar Hamann facts for kids
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Hamann in 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dietmar Johann Wolfgang Hamann | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 August 1973 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Waldsassen, West Germany | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1989 | Wacker München | |||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Bayern Munich (A) | 24 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1998 | Bayern Munich | 105 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Newcastle United | 23 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Liverpool | 191 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Manchester City | 54 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Milton Keynes Dons | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 409 | (27) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Germany U20 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Germany U21 | 10 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2005 | Germany | 59 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Stockport County | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Dietmar Johann Wolfgang "Didi" Hamann (born 27 August 1973) is a German football expert and former professional player. He was known for playing in the defensive midfield position.
Throughout his career, Didi played for big clubs like Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester City. He was also a key player for the German national team from 1997 to 2006. He played in two FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships, even reaching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final.
Didi Hamann was known for being a very steady and dependable player. Liverpool fans especially remember him for his important role in the club's amazing win in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. Today, he often works as a football expert on TV, sharing his knowledge about major European and international football games.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Didi Hamann started his football journey at a smaller club called Wacker München. When he was 16, he joined Bayern Munich in 1989. He made his professional debut for Bayern in 1993.
He joined a strong team with famous players like Lothar Matthäus and Oliver Kahn. At first, Didi was a young player who could play in professional games while still being an amateur. He helped Bayern win his first German championship. In the next season, many players got injured, which gave Didi a chance to play more often. He became a regular player, playing as a right winger or a defensive midfielder.
Didi became a full professional player and was important during the 1995–96 season. Even though many new midfielders joined the team, he played in 20 games and helped keep the team stable. Bayern finished second that season but won the UEFA Cup.
Becoming a Star at Bayern
The 1996–97 season was a big one for Didi. The new coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, made him a starting defensive midfielder. Didi played in 23 games and also made his first appearance for the German national team. He won his second German championship with Bayern that year. He also overcame a health issue during this time and made a full recovery.
The next season, Bayern finished second in the league. However, they ended the season on a high note by winning the German Cup against MSV Duisburg. Didi was a regular starter, playing in 28 games and scoring two goals.
Moving to England: Newcastle United
After playing for Germany in the 1998 World Cup, Didi moved to England. He joined Newcastle United in 1998 for £5.5 million. He played in 31 matches and scored five goals for Newcastle. He also played in the 1999 FA Cup Final.
Success with Liverpool
In July 1999, Didi joined Liverpool for £8 million. He quickly became a very important midfielder for the club over his seven years there. He played in 191 league games and scored eight goals.
In the 2000–01 season, Didi won his first major English trophies with Liverpool. The team won a special "cup treble": the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Cup. This also earned them a spot in the Champions League. Didi also played the whole game when Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 in the 2003 League Cup final.
Didi played a huge part in Liverpool's amazing 2005 Champions League Final win against A.C. Milan. Even though he had an injury during the final, Didi came on as a substitute at half-time. His arrival helped Liverpool make a historic comeback from being 3–0 down to drawing 3–3. Liverpool then won the game in a penalty shootout. Didi showed great courage by taking and scoring the first penalty for Liverpool, even with his injured foot.
He also won the FA Cup with Liverpool in May 2006. He came on as a substitute when Liverpool were losing 3–2 to West Ham United. His teammate Steven Gerrard scored a late goal to make it 3–3, sending the game to extra-time. Liverpool won the Cup on penalties, and Didi scored the first penalty again. When it was time for him to leave Liverpool, the manager of rival club Everton, David Moyes, tried to sign him. But Didi refused, saying he couldn't join Everton after all his years and experiences at Liverpool.
Time at Manchester City
In June 2006, Didi was allowed to talk to Bolton Wanderers about joining them. He signed a pre-contract with Bolton but then changed his mind.
On 12 July 2006, he instead signed for Manchester City. City paid Bolton £400,000 as compensation. Didi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a UEFA Cup qualifying match. He played for Manchester City until his contract ended on 1 July 2009.
Player-Coach at Milton Keynes Dons
On 20 May 2010, Didi Hamann signed a one-year contract to be a player-coach at Milton Keynes Dons. He played in 12 games for the club. He left on 3 February 2011 to become a First Team Coach at Leicester City, which meant he stopped playing professionally.
Playing Again for TuS Haltern
After retiring from professional playing and managing, Didi Hamann returned to playing football for an amateur team called TuS Haltern. He signed with them on 7 March 2015, when he was 41 years old.
International Career with Germany
Didi Hamann played for the German under-21 team before making his full international debut in November 1997. He was chosen for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad. Germany was knocked out in the quarter-finals.
During the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying, Didi became a key player for Germany. He played in all of Germany's games at the final tournament. Didi Hamann was also the last player to score a goal at the old Wembley Stadium before it was demolished. He scored the winning goal for Germany against England in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in October 2000.
Didi was one of the most important players in Germany's surprising journey to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. He became only the second Liverpool player to play in a World Cup Final while still at the club. However, Germany lost 2–0 to Brazil in the final.
The Euro 2004 was Didi's last major tournament with Germany. After a strong performance in the 2005 Champions League final, he was called back to the German squad by new manager Jürgen Klinsmann. However, he was later dropped from the squad. He was not selected for the German team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and he officially retired from international football.
Coaching and Management
Milton Keynes Dons and Leicester City
As mentioned, Didi Hamann started as a player-coach at Milton Keynes Dons in May 2010. He then moved to Leicester City in February 2011 to be a First Team Coach.
Stockport County Manager
On 5 July 2011, Didi Hamann became the new manager of Stockport County. He resigned from his role as manager on 7 November 2011.
Broadcasting Career
Didi Hamann is a well-known football expert on television. He has worked for RTÉ Sport in Ireland for major tournaments like the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012, 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021), 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.
In Britain, Didi has appeared as an expert on the BBC's Match of the Day 2 and Sky Sports's football coverage. He often talks about games involving clubs he played for, especially Liverpool. He also appears regularly on LFC TV for their live analysis of Liverpool's home games. Didi also works as an expert for Sky Sports Bundesliga in Germany.
Writing and Personal Life
Author
Didi Hamann is also a writer. He is a European columnist for twentyfour7, where he shares his thoughts on football across the continent.
He released his autobiography, The Didi Man: My Love Affair with Liverpool, in February 2012. The book became a Sunday Times Best Seller.
Family and Hobbies
Didi Hamann has two daughters, Chiara and Luna. His brother, Matthias Hamann, also played football in the Bundesliga.
Didi enjoys cricket and even played a match for a local team in England. He became interested in the sport during the 2005 Ashes series. He has also worked with Standard Chartered Bank to host a football clinic in Nigeria.
Honours
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1993–94, 1996–97
- DFB-Pokal: 1997–98
- DFB-Ligapokal: 1997
- UEFA Cup: 1995–96
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2000–01, 2005–06
- Football League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03; runner-up 2004–05
- FA Charity Shield: 2001
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01
- UEFA Super Cup: 2001, 2005
- FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005
Germany
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2002
Individual
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002 (reserve)
- BBC Goal of the Season: 2003–04
See also
In Spanish: Dietmar Hamann para niños
