'I was Liverpool No.1 and then they signed two goalkeepers behind my back - I still don't understand'

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld's journey from . The Dutchman, who replaced David James at Anfield in 1999, became the most expensive goalkeeper in British history at the time with his £4m move.

Initially, under Gerard Houllier's management, Westerveld was the undisputed No.1, even conceding the fewest goals in the 1999/2000 Premier League season and playing a pivotal role in treble-winning campaign of 2001, including their League Cup final triumph over Birmingham City.

However, a sudden dip in form and a significant error against Bolton saw him fall out of favour with Houllier. This led to the arrivals of Jerzy Dudek and Chris Kirkland, pushing Westerveld out and resulting in his sale to Real Sociedad in December 2001—a decision he still finds baffling.

"I know what happened, but I still don't understand it," said Westerveld, who also had a stint at Everton on loan in 2006, in an interview with . "From day one, Houllier told me and the press that you need time to adapt to the English league. Obviously, I was criticised like all goalkeepers are. They're under a lot of pressure, especially at Liverpool.

"I never felt the pressure, but I could see and hear the criticism. I started off well in my first year, when I was 24, and goalkeepers tend to get better every year. In the first year, we had the best defence in the Premier League, and in the second year, we won the treble.

"I was just improving, but already, from the very first day of pre-season, I heard rumors about Liverpool bringing in a new goalkeeper. That's normal. I wasn't nervous, or afraid of losing my place, because I felt I was doing good things."

However, a costly error against Bolton marked the beginning of the end for him at Liverpool. "I made a mistake," Westerveld admitted.

"Afterwards, I went away with the national team, and Liverpool bought two goalkeepers instead of one. That was obviously a big blow for me."

Despite the setback, he maintained confidence in his abilities. "I never thought that I would have to leave Liverpool. I always had a lot of confidence. I knew what I was doing. All goalkeepers make mistakes, but I was winning points as well.

"If they had brought one goalkeeper in, even Dudek, I would still have been fighting for my place. Nobody knows what would have happened. But when they buy two goalkeepers and they don't even take you on a Champions League away trip as the number three, you know you're number four.

"From number one to number four. That was just a nightmare. There was nothing for me to do. I didn't have any chance to come back and they made it very clear. I thought it was very harsh, but what can you do? Things happen like this in football."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking .