| Ian Snodin is an almost unique figure in modern football insomuch as
he declined an invitation which few receive and virtually no one declines
when he turned down the chance to join Liverpool in January 1987. Having
established himself an an aggressiv e, yet thoughtful, midfielder in a
struggling Leeds United side during the mid-eighties, Snodin was pursued
by several leading clubs but only two - Everton and Liverpool - were willing
to meet an asking price of 840,000 pounds. Having agreed personal term
s with Kenny Dalglish, Snodin was expected to move to Anfield but an eleventh-hour
intervention by Howard Kendall proved to be decisive and within a matter
of hours he had pledged his future to Everton. Although his never-say-die
attitude was warmly recei ved by the Goodison public it was not until Snodin
was pressed into service as an emergency right-back that he truly began
to flourish. His transformation from midfielder to defender was accomplished
with such speed and in such style that he was called up into the full England
squad for a friendly international in Greece in February 1989. Unfortunately,
Snodin was forced to withdraw because of injury and his problems were compounded
a matter of only a few weeks later when he was carried off during a game
against Sheffield Wednesday with a serious hamstring problem. Despite lengthy
periods of rest and several operations, Snodin struggled to regain his
fitness and spent the whole of the 1991-92 season convalescing. |
