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Whereas in previous decades Liverpool had often built their teams around
Scots, under Roy Evans the main influence was decidedly Norwegian.
Although English football was warming to the idea of foreign players,
there was still certain scepticism about their ability to adapt to the
British game. Scandinavians, however, were different. Their knowledge of
the language and physical nature of their game meant that they were
more likely to succeed in the demanding surrounds of the Premier League.
Or at least Evans seems to have felt that way having made Norway his
favourite destination when scouting for players. Although almost a
complete unknown when he signed for Liverpool on a Bosman free midway
through the 1996-97 season, the decision to leave Rosenborg had been a
difficult one for Kvarme.
The Norwegian champions had just eliminated
Milan in the Champions League and at the time were quite a force in
Europe. Yet the attraction of playing for one of the most famous sides
in England, alongside close friend Stig Inge Bjornebye, proved too much.
He started well enough, starring in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at
Anfield, and spent the rest of the season confirming that Evans had made
quite a shrewd signing, especially as he had spent nothing in replacing
John Scales who had been sold to Tottenham for £2.5 million. Within six
months Kvarme had become quite popular with the fans for his no
nonsense style and ability to mark players out of the game. His decision
to spend most of the summer training with former club Rosenborg to
improve his heading won him even more admiration. Sadly for Kvarme, that
reputation would soon be soured.
A dreadful error in a Merseyside derby
defeat, when he gifted the ball to Danny Cadamarteri who promptly went
on to score, was bad enough. When he made a similar mistake against
Manchester United a couple of weeks later, his confidence simply
dissolved and Bjorne never looked like the commanding defender who had
impressed so much earlier on. Soon afterwards, Evans ditched the 3-5-2
system to one with two central defenders and Kvarme was the odd man out.
He struggled to regain his place in the side and he looked set to leave
the club when Gerard Houllier joined the management team. Surprisingly
the French manager gave him another opportunity and appeared to have
confidence in his ability.
However, a weak performance against Celta
Vigo in the UEFA Cup cut short Kvarme's mini-revival and spelled the
end of his Liverpool adventure. Soon afterwards he left for St. Etienne
and in France he managed to rehabilitate his career. Eventually he
joined Real Sociedad and was a key figure of the team that just missed
out on winning the Primera Liga in 2002. (Paul Grech)
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