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It is perhaps a credit to French midfielder Bruno Cheyrou that he
didn't immediately run back to his homeland the moment that his new
manager Gerard Houllier dubbed him 'the new Zidane' in the summer of
2002. As declarations go, it was a hard one to live up to, even though
he had already endeared himself to the Reds faithful with a sublime goal
for Lille against Manchester United in the previous season's Champions
League. He impressed a full house on his first Anfield start, a friendly
against Lazio, and then made his league debut in a home match with
Southampton just three days after his first French cap. Fellow new boy
El-Hadji Diouf had struck twice on his home debut when Bruno replaced
Steven Gerrard with five minutes to go, just in time to win a penalty
that was converted by Danny Murphy. His first start came in a 3-2 win at
the Reebok Stadium, Milan Baros grabbing two, but Cheyrou often looked
like he wanted too much time on the ball and seemed to be finding the
pace of the English game hard to get used to.
It was perhaps no surprise
then that his first goal arrived in the Champions League, the second of
a 5-0 win over Spartak Moscow at Anfield, with Emile Heskey grabbing
two, but Bruno was in and out of Houllier's plans. He made 29
appearances in all competitions in his first campaign, but played the
full 90 minutes just four times, and wasn't involved as the Reds beat
Manchester United to win the League Cup in Cardiff. Houllier added to
his attacking ranks in the summer of 2003 with the purchases of Harry
Kewell and two more Frenchmen, youngsters Anthony Le Tallec and Florent
Sinama-Pongolle, but Bruno started the opening match of the season
against Chelsea, only to depart with a foot injury early in the second
half; he wouldn't play again for five months. He returned as a sub for
the FA Cup Third Round tie at Yeovil in the new year, before, with the
Reds suffering from a catalogue of injuries, he was thrust into the
starting line-up for a match at Chelsea. Houllier had received
widespread criticism at that week's AGM, and was desperate for a good
result. Cheyrou provided it for him, smashing in Heskey's cross for his
first Premier League goal, a strike that gave Liverpool their first win
at Stamford Bridge for 15 years.
There appeared to be life in the
Frenchman yet, and he scored at Wolves before undoubtedly his finest
night in a Red shirt, scoring both goals in a 2-1 FA Cup victory at home
to Newcastle. Sadly, they were to be his last strikes for Liverpool. He
played 19 times that season, but after Houllier's exit, Rafa Benitez
made it clear that Bruno wasn't in his plans. He was sent out on loan to
Marseille and Bordeaux, where he didn't do enough to earn a permanent
deal, before, now a Liverpool player in name only, he finally left the
club for good in June 2006, moving to Rennes, ending an inauspicious
Reds career. The 'new Zidane' he was not. (Mark Jones)
1998–2002 Lille 111 (31)
2002–2006 Liverpool 31 (2)
2004–2005 Marseille (loan) 23 (2)
2005–2006 Bordeaux (loan) 28 (1)
2006–2009 Rennes 107 (14)
2010 Anorthosis 12 (2)
2010–2012 FC Nantes 41 (1)
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