Appreciating Daniel Agger (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

In an era in which almost every footballer seems to harbour ambitions of one day playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona, Daniel Agger was one of the few who bucked the trend. For most modern players, other clubs are seen as merely another step on the ladder to either of the La Liga giants. Agger, however, is not like most modern footballers; he's a complex character who values a settled and happy home life above money and trophies.

The Dane had numerous opportunities to leave Anfield and was the subject of serious interest from Barcelona on more than one occasion, but showed little or no interest in ever leaving Anfield until this summer when he found himself surplus to requirements.

It will have surprised many to see him return to his first club, Brondby, when at just 29 years of age he could still be playing in one of Europe's big leagues for a top club, but Agger was not going to leave Merseyside to go just anywhere. It had to be the right move for him and his family. He certainly had no interest in remaining in England and playing for one of Liverpool's rivals, that's for sure. The Dane appears to not be driven by ambition or financial motivation and there are much more important things in his life than football. Some players live and breathe the game, others are not that interested in football but just happen to be rather good at it. Agger falls into the second category.

His response to the seemingly annual speculation linking him with a move to the Catalan giants was usually to shrug and say "It's up to the club". The only way he was leaving Anfield was if he was no longer wanted, and unlike some of those he has shared a dressing room with over the years, he was never tempted by "greener pastures". That's a rarity in modern football; when presented with a better offer, most players try to force this issue themselves by whatever means necessary. 

Read the full article here.