From current Chelsea outcast to former Saints boss: 14 forgotten Liverpool players

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Liverpool Football Club has been home to some of the best players ever to grace a football pitch… as well as some more abject failures.

Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are just a few of the names we’ve seen write their name in Anfield folklore over the years.

However, for every Fernando Torres, there’s an Andriy Voronin, and for every iconic No.9, there’s a player that leaves you scratching your head trying to remember when exactly it was that they pulled on a red shirt.

With that in mind, read on for 14 players you probably forgot played for Liverpool.

1. Victor Moses

Liverpool appearances: 22

Kicking off our list is Nigerian winger Victor Moses, who played just 22 games in all competitions for the Reds while on loan from Chelsea in the 2013-14 season, scoring twice.

That campaign happened to be Liverpool’s infamous capitulation, throwing away the Premier League title in spectacular fashion with ‘Crystanbul’ and Steven Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea. Those are two massively unforgettable moments, which probably push Moses’ Liverpool career even further from your memory.

Now back with the Blues, Moses played a key role as Antonio Conte’s side cantered to the title in 2017, but he has since been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Maurizio Sarri, who has completely frozen him out.

2. Mauricio Pellegrino

Liverpool appearances: 13

Did you know that Mauricio Pellegrino is a massive fan of the Beatles?

“I could not sleep for several nights after the move was confirmed. The first free weekend I get I plan to visit everything in the city that is connected with the Beatles,” said the central defender, who was occasionally referred to as the “Fifth Beatle” by the Argentinian press, once his 2005 move to Anfield was confirmed.

Just 13 appearances later, and Pellegrino’s ‘magical mystery tour’ was over and he was shipped back to Spain to end his career with Alaves, though he did return to the Premier League, if only briefly, as his stint in charge of Southampton ended disastrously last season.

3. Steven Caulker

Liverpool appearances: 4

Even though it was less than three years ago, Steven Caulker’s Liverpool career is surely one of the most forgettable on our list?

Caulker made a bizarre loan move from QPR to Liverpool in January 2016 after cancelling his loan spell with Southampton. During his four brief appearances for the Reds, Caulker was actually used as an emergency striker three times as Liverpool chased the game. With 14 career goals to date, you can probably guess the outcome.

4. Oussama Assaidi

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

Liverpool appearances: 12

Don’t let 12 appearances for Liverpool in the 2012-13 season fool you into thinking Oussama Assaidi did anything at Anfield; only four of those appearances came in the Premier League and not one of them produced a noteworthy moment.

Assaidi is now 30-years-old and plies his trade in the Eredivisie with FC Twente, suffering relegation with them last season despite scoring six goals in 25 league games for the club.

5. Nuri Sahin

Liverpool appearances: 12

Given his success at Borussia Dortmund before moving to Real Madrid, you could easily have forgiven Liverpool fans for feeling a twinge of excitement when they signed Nuri Sahin on loan in August 2012.

However, the Turkish international had already suffered a massive loss of confidence during his time in Spain, from which he has never really recovered, and only managed 12 appearances in all competitions for the Reds.

6. Doni

Liverpool appearances: 4

Prior to joining Liverpool in 2o11, Doni had actually forged out a pretty decent career in Serie A with Roma, playing nearly 200 games for the club and helping them win two Coppa Italia titles.

His move to Anfield was ill-fated, however, and the 10-time Brazil international was never able to supplant Pepe Reina between the sticks, making just four appearances for the club.

7. Sebastian Leto

(Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Liverpool appearances: 4

Sebastian Leto was signed by Liverpool in August 2007 as an exciting, Argentine forward with South American flair, but left permanently in 2009 as a complete failure.

The former Lanus man only managed four appearances during his time on Merseyside, none of which came in the Premier League, and didn’t score a single goal. You’d be forgiven for not knowing this footballing name at all.

8. Antonio Nunez

(Photo credit should read PACO SERINELLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Liverpool appearances: 27

Remember when Michael Owen left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004? Well, sneaking in through the back door at Anfield was Spanish midfielder, Antonio Nunez.

Incredibly, Nunez actually has a Champions League winners’ medal, making five European appearances for the Reds during their 2005 success, but it’s hard to actually picture him in a Liverpool shirt at all given his complete lack of contribution on the pitch.

9. Albert Riera

Liverpool appearances: 55

What’s more forgettable, Albert Riera’s loan spell at Manchester City in 2006, or his 55 games at Liverpool between 2008 and 2010?

The fact that Riera actually made 55 appearances for the Reds is quite remarkable, now just sit tight while we try to find a contribution worth telling you about…

10. Paul Konchesky

(Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Liverpool appearances: 18

One of the many ill-advised signings of the Roy Hodgson era at Liverpool, Paul Konchesky arrived at Anfield with two England caps and a Europa League runner-up medal to his name with Fulham.

Konchesky was a shadow of that player during his time in the north-west, though, and after a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, joined Leicester City in 2011. Konchesky was cruelly loaned out to QPR for the 2015-16 season, when the Foxes secured an improbable Premier League title.

11. Alou Diarra

Liverpool appearances: 0

Gerard Houllier brought Alou Diarra to Anfield in July 2002 after hailing him as the ‘new Patrick Vieira’.

Diarra, however, left the club in 2005 with just one pre-season appearance to his name in a Liverpool shirt, spending most of his time out on loan in his native France. He did clock up 44 appearances for the French national team during his career, though.

12. Gabriel Paletta

Liverpool appearances: 8

Gabriel Paletta is a title winner in Argentina with Boca Juniors, as well as a three-time Italian international after clocking up over 200 appearances for Parma, AC Milan and Atalanta respectively.

What most people forget, though, is that the centre-back actually made eight appearances for Liverpool back in the 2006-07 season. Paletta could never quite break into the first team at Anfield though and moved on to Boca in 2007.

13. Mark Gonzalez

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Liverpool appearances: 36

Making 36 appearances and receiving a Champions League runner-up medal in 2006-07 sounds like a pretty decent stint at a club, right?

Well, that is unless you’re Mark Gonzalez and contributed next to nothing toward Liverpool’s exploits that season. The Chilean should have sensed that things wouldn’t quite work out at Anfield though, with his move to the club initially delayed for six months due to work permit problems.

14. Philipp Degen

Liverpool appearances: 13

There was actually a fair amount of excitement surrounding the arrival of Philipp Degen at Liverpool in 2008; understandable given that he had won multiple Swiss league titles, had a host of caps for Switzerland and had been a very consistent right-back in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.

Degen’s Liverpool career was curtailed through injury, however, and he left the club two years and 13 appearances later, achieving, well, absolutely nothing.

The post 14 players you may have forgotten played for Liverpool appeared first on Squawka News.



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