Liverpool hero Daniel Agger has now opened up on how David Moyes cost Everton his transfer from Brondby IF after the manager ‘disappeared’ after making a scouting trip.
The 39-year-old has revealed that Moyes once travelled to Copenhagen to examine Agger in action whilst the manager of Everton. But the defender’s display did not satisfy the Scot that Agger was ready for the Premier League. Yet he signed for Liverpool a mere six months later.
Anfield chiefs paid £6m in January 2006 to sign Agger from Brondby, who later paid £3m to re-sign the centre-back in August 2014. He returned to Drengene Fra Vestegnen having won the 2012 EFL Cup at Liverpool. The Dane further featured 232 times for the Merseyside club.
David Moyes cost Everton the transfer of Liverpool hero Daniel Agger
Agger decided to call time on his Liverpool career following Dejan Lovren’s arrival and opted to go back to Brondby. It was the first squad the defender played for after emerging from the academy in July 2004. Michael Laudrup gave Agger his senior Brondby bow at 19 years old.
Brondby would also be Agger’s last team as the 75-cap Denmark international retired there in July 2016. His performances with the Danish Superliga giants also kept the Hvidovre-born brute in international action and serving as De Rod-Hvide’s captain through to March 2016.
The Blues never beat the Reds across eight games against Daniel Agger
Agger’s Liverpool career would prove to be a case of what might have been for Everton after Moyes walked away before meeting the centre-back while still with Brondby. The Dane even claims Lars Jacobsen told him that Moyes admitted he made a mistake by passing on Agger.
Speaking to The Athletic, Agger said: “Brondby told me that David Moyes was in the stadium and wanted to speak to me after. I thought I played a decent game but he disappeared! A club director told me that he had said he didn’t think I was prepared for the Premier League.
“Six months later, I was at Liverpool. Lars Jacobsen, a good friend of mine, who played for Everton, told me that Moyes later admitted in the canteen when one of our games was on TV: ‘I missed one there’.”
Agger made 175 of his 232 appearances for Liverpool during Premier League games, whilst scoring nine and assisting eight goals. He even featured 19 times in the Champions League, including 11 of their 13 games en route to the 2006/07 final in which the defender assisted.
Everton saw the player Moyes passed on eight times, as well, with Agger helping Liverpool to win three and draw five Merseyside derbies. The Toffees never beat a Reds side in which he featured. The Blues further only scored eight goals across four encounters against Agger.
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