Everton’s 1995 FA Cup winner Anders Limpar fondly recalls playing alongside the club’s famed ‘Dogs of War,’ hailing them as his on-field protectors. Yet, the former Swedish international believes that if he were in his prime in today’s Premier League, he might have enjoyed a more prolific career. Limpar, who helped Everton defeat Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United 1-0 in that famous FA Cup final, later teamed up with the electric Andrei Kanchelskis when Joe Royle splashed out £5 million to bring the winger to Goodison from Old Trafford.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in the Goodison Park: My Home series, Limpar reflected on the arrival of Kanchelskis, who would go on to become one of the Toffees’ standout performers. “That was lightning, I can tell you,” said Limpar. “If I was quick, I didn’t have any chance against Andrei. He had two good feet and scored 16 goals. He’d won everything at Manchester United over the five years before that.”
The Swedish winger also shared a humorous memory of his time rooming with the Russian star, recalling, “I was rooming with him. He was so funny, because he’d be talking to his wife in Russian for two or three hours every night, so I can pretty much speak better Russian than English now! Andrei was a funny character and a good man, a sweet man, and a hell of a football player. He did great for Everton.”
One of the highlights of their time together came in the 1995 Merseyside derby at Anfield. Kanchelskis scored twice to secure a 2-1 win, with Limpar providing the assist for the second goal. It was a game that stands out in Limpar’s memory. “In recent years I’ve been to Anfield when we got knocked 5-2 – that wasn’t fun – and another one when Liverpool won 2-0,” Limpar said. “For some reason, we play well against Liverpool at Goodison but struggle going there.”
He added, “I remember once we had a chat at Bellefield ahead of a derby and Andrei said: ‘Liverpool? That’s nothing!’ That’s because he’d come from Manchester United, who seemed to beat them every time. For him, it was nothing, but for an Evertonian like Dave Watson, it was a really big deal. The rest of us were all s******g ourselves, but we still enjoyed a great game at Anfield when we won 2-1.”
Although Limpar often found himself deployed as a winger during his time in England, his career began in a different role in Serie A. Playing for Cremonese, where he was named the league’s third-best foreign player in 1989/90 behind Diego Maradona and Lothar Matthäus, Limpar operated more centrally as a number 10. However, when he made the switch to Arsenal, his role shifted.
“For me, as a skilful, quick winger who couldn’t tackle or defend, having players like Barry Horne, John Ebbrell, and Joe Parkinson at Everton – or Mickey Thomas and Paul Davis at Arsenal – was a dream,” Limpar said. “If they do their job with hard tackling and get us the ball on the wings, it’s easy to play. I played as a number 10 in Italy, but when I spoke to George Graham [Arsenal’s manager], he told me I’d have to play on the wing. I said, ‘I’m a number 10,’ but he replied, ‘Anders, you can’t tackle, in England you’ll have to play on the wing.’ It was as simple as that – it was much tougher back in those days.”
Joe Royle once described Limpar as “a footballing genius” and the most talented player he ever worked with. But in 82 appearances for Everton, Limpar managed just six goals. Reflecting on his modest goal tally, the Swede admitted his role was more about creating chances for others than scoring himself. Yet, he is confident that his style of play would have flourished in today’s Premier League, a far cry from the physicality and direct football of the 1990s.
“Playing in the Premier League now would have suited me much more because I was really good at passing and receiving the ball. I had a good touch, good vision,” Limpar said. “The style of play now would have suited me better. I could see myself like a Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, or Gabriel Martinelli – players who always attack and don’t have to defend much.”
Limpar continued, “I had to do a little bit of defending because it was different football back then. It was much quicker, we were launching the ball from the full-backs up to the forwards. You hardly see that with the top teams anymore. They play from the back, through the midfield, and out to the wingers.”
He concluded, “I’d probably have scored more goals if I was playing now, and I’m sure I’d have produced more assists too. You hardly see players like Foden or Doku crossing the ball – they go for goal. It’s a different game altogether.”