BJORN TORE KVARME

1997

POSITION : DEFENDER RIGHT / CENTRE

BORN: Trondheim, Norway 17.7.1972.

TRANSFER FEE: FREE (from Rosenborg Trondheim, January 10 1997).

HONOURS: None

OTHER CLUBS: Rosenborg Tronheim 1991 - 1996

APPEARNCES : 38

GOALS : 4

INFO :

Norwegian Kvarme signed for Liverpool purely by chance.

Whilst holidaying in England in 1996, he looked up his old friend Stig-Inge Bjornebye, Liverpool's wing-back, who he got on well with during Bjornebye's days at Norway's biggest club.

Invited to train with Liverpool whilst on Merseyside, Roy Evans was suitably impressed enough to offer the 24-year-old a contract.

Kvarme turned down the opportunity to continue playing in the Champions' League - including the chance to meet Juventus, one of the great clubs of European football, when European competition restarted soon after he joined Liverpool - to become the first player to sign for Liverpool under the Bosman ruling, which allows out of contract European Community players to mov e across European boundaries on a free transfer.

In the end Roy Evans fought off several clubs, including Glasgow giants Rangers for his signature.

Kvarme, who was also the first Liverpool signing of 1997, grew up as a Liverpool fan but did not allow that to influence his decision to join the Anfield club. "They had to sell the club a little bit but Liverpool is a big club and it is a big ambition for me to play for a team like this," he said when he signed.

He paid tribute to his great friend Bjornebye, adding: "Stig being here was an influence because he's a good friend and will make it easier for me to settle in."

Although never a first choice player at Rosenborg and not capped at international level, the defender nevertheless managed to play 88 games (23 of them as a substitute), scoring twice, in the five years he played in the Norwegian Tippeligaen (Premier Division).

Primarily a right back, he is also able to play as a right centre-back, and was hence signed as an effective replacement for John Scales, who left to join Spurs a month earlier for 2.8 million.

The player, whose nickname is "Bentos", is renowned in Norway for his speed down the flanks, although it is said that his distribution needs some work and that his aerial play is average. He al so possesses strength and is a hard and tenacious worker during matches.

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