How did your 1999 move to Liverpool from French club Laval come about?
I was 18 at the time. A lot of big teams were interested in me because I’d been playing for France Under-21s and was regarded as one of their best prospects. Liverpool weren’t my first choice – I’d actually wanted to sign for Parma. Back then, they had an amazing team, with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon and Juan Sebastian Veron. I liked the idea of Italy as Paris had become a bit of a distraction for me, with my friends going out to bars and drinking. But before I made my decision, I got a call from Gerard Houllier. He was a French coach and told me that if I were to come to Liverpool,
