Xabi Alonso

Cultured midfielder Xabi Alonso became one of the first players to join the Rafalution with a £10.5million move from his native Spain in August 2004.

The pass master is the son of former Barcelona star Miguel Angel 'Periko' Alonso and brother of Bolton midfielder Mikel.

Both sons came through the ranks at Real Sociedad, with Xabi making his senior breakthrough in a Copa del Rey match versus Logrones in December 1999.

From there, he was loaned to Spanish minnows SD Eibar, only to be called back when Kop legend John Toshack took the reins at Estadio Anoeta.

Alonso swiftly developed into a defensive midfielder with an eye for a pass few of his contemporaries could spot.

It came as no surprise when, in April 2003 and aged just 21, he earned his first Spain cap against Ecuador. A year later he travelled to the European Championships in Holland and Belgium, though featured in just one of his country's three group games.

His arrival at Anfield followed hot on the heels of the appointment of Rafa Benitez, who viewed his countryman as the man to set the tempo in a new-look Liverpool.

Alonso made his debut at Bolton's Reebok Stadium on August 29, 2004. Two months later he put in a dazzling performance against Fulham at Craven Cottage which had Kopites purring. With the Reds 2-0 down at half-time, Benitez threw on his new boy. The midfielder duly inspired a miraculous comeback, with the game ending 2-4.

His first season in English football was interrupted by a broken ankle following a tackle from Chelsea's Frank Lampard on New Year's Day. After three months out, he returned in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Juventus. Alonso played 90 minutes as the Reds held the Italians to a goalless draw and thus progressed to the semis.

Next up were Chelsea, though a wrongly-awarded yellow card following a brush with Eidur Gudjohnsen meant the midfield anchorman missed the second leg.

Never mind, his teammates got the job done, and Alonso would play a pivotal role in Istanbul when the club won its fifth European Cup. It was he who scored Liverpool's third and equalising goal on 59 minutes, knocking in the rebound from his own missed penalty.

The Spaniard's second season in England was perhaps most notable for his performance against Luton Town in the third round of the FA Cup. With the Reds 3-1 down early in the second half, he scored two corkers, including a 65-yard punt from inside his own half.

Reports afterwards revealed the strike won one lucky fan £25,000. Spookily, the gent had placed £200 on the Reds number 14 scoring from his own half during the 2005-06 season.

Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup in Cardiff four months later, with Alonso playing 66 minutes of the final against West Ham.

From there, the popular Spaniard was selected for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he scored his first international goal in a group match against Ukraine.

Alonso returned to Melwood following a second-round defeat to France to prepare for what would turn out to be another memorable season.

Not only did he play in his second European Cup final, he also scored another goal from inside his own half in a match against Newcastle United. Remarkably, it was his first Liverpool strike since the almost identical effort against Luton, and he remains the only modern player to score consecutive club goals from beyond the half-way line.

In June 2007 Alonso penned a new five-year deal, though sadly much of the following campaign was spent on the sidelines with a metatarsal injury.

Fortunately for Spain, he was back in time for Euro 2008 - and the tournament provided another career high as he and his countrymen defeated Germany in the final. Though not always in the starting XI, Alonso featured three times from the bench and wore the captain's armband in the final group game against Greece.

Alvaro Arbeloa

Versatile defender Alvaro Arbeloa was brought to Anfield in January 2007.

The Spaniard started out at Real Zaragoza before being lured by Real Madrid aged 16.

The Spanish capital was where he first worked with Rafa Benitez, who was then youth team coach at the Bernabeu.

Arbeloa made his full debut for Madrid against Real Betis in October 2004, but managed just one further appearance in the next two years.

By July 2006, the time had come to move on. His destination was northern Spain and Deportivo La Coruna.

Little did he know, however, that within six months he'd be on his way to the Premiership.

It took just 21 appearances at Depor to convince Benitez that Arbeloa was the man to challenge Steve Finnan for the right-back slot at Anfield.

The defender, who represented Spain at every youth level, made his Reds debut as a substitute against Newcastle on February 10.

This was followed by a first start in the Nou Camp, where Arbeloa was deployed as a left-back. It proved a tactical masterstroke on the part of Benitez as the new boy excelled, thwarting Barca starlet Lionel Messi and helping the Reds return home with an unlikely 2-1 lead. The trick was repeated two weeks later and Liverpool were through to the quarter-finals of the European Cup.

The full-back featured 14 times in his first six months on Merseyside, scoring once against Reading and coming on as a late sub in the Champions League final.

Arbeloa's club form finally brought international recognition in March 2008 when he came on with 15 minutes to go as Spain recorded a friendly victory over world champions Italy. Three months later he was part of the squad which triumphed in Euro 2008, though started just one game.

Source: liverpoolfc.tv

Ian Rush (Legend)

Standing supreme as Liverpool's all-time scoring king the lean Welshman was one of the deadliest strikers in football history, blending superb anticipation with lethal finishing. His attack partnership with Kenny Dalglish is widely rated the best ever in British football.

Rush became Britain's most expensive teenager when Bob Paisley paid £300,000 to sign him from Chester in 1980. During his two-part Anfield career, split by a season with Juventus in 1987-88 when he left and returned for a combined £6 million, Rush scored 346 goals in 660 senior outings, although in the League only he was 16 goals short of Roger Hunt's club record 245.

It was about the only one to elude him. Rush's haul of 44 FA Cup goals (39 of them for Liverpool) is a 20th century record while his five-goal total in FA Cup Finals (two in 1986 and 1989 and one in 1992 all on winning Liverpool sides) is an all-time best by an individual. Rush shares with Geoff Hurst the League Cup scoring record of 49 and was the first player to win that competition five times, completing his nap hand as Liverpool captain against Bolton in 1995. He scored 10 times in 18 Wembley outings for the club.

He also collected five Championship medals, one European Cup and was awarded the MBE. Rush scored an all-time Mersey derby record of 25 goals against Everton, won Europe's Golden Boot with 32 League goals in 1984 when he was also double Footballer of the Year and captained Wales, for whom he scored a record 28 goals in 73 games. He joined Leeds in 1996 and later played for Newcastle, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic.

Robbie Fowler (Legend)

Robbie Fowler was born on April 9th 1975 and was brought up on the Toxteth estate in Liverpool, England. As a youngster he supported Everton. While at Nugent Secondary school he was selected to play for Liverpool Schools Under-14's where he was spotted by Jim Aspinall, a scout from Liverpool Football Club. Two Years later he signed on as a YTS trainee and on April 9th 1992, on his 17th birthday, Fowler signed professional forms. Fowler helped England Under-18's win the European Championship in the summer of 1993. Robbie Fowler was given his professional debut for Liverpool by Greame Souness against Fulham in the League Cup in September 1993. Fowler scored in a 3-1 win and in the second leg two weeks later scored all five of Liverpool's goals in a 5-0 win, becoming only the fourth player in Liverpool's history to score five goals in a senior fixture. In only his fifth league game Fowler scored his first Premiership hat-trick against Southampton. 12 goals in his first 13 games for Liverpool led to Fowler making his England Under-21 debut against San Marino in November 1993, and he scored the opening goal after 3 minutes. By the end of the 1993/94 season Fowler had scored 18 goals in a brilliant debut season, finishing as Liverpool's leading goalscorer despite missing two months with a hairline fracture on his ankle.

Pepe Reina

Jose Manuel Reina is one of the world's top stoppers with an uncanny knack of saving penalties.

He became the latest Spaniard to join the Rafalution in July 2005 and has already smashed a collection of Anfield records.

The bald-headed goalie ousted Jerzy Dudek as first choice despite the Pole's heroics in Istanbul just two months earlier.

Reina, who goes by the nickname Pepe, certainly had the pedigree having come through the ranks at Barcelona.

Having helped lead his country to European Under-16 Championships glory, he made his Nou Camp debut aged just 18.

The charismatic 'keeper played 33 games for the Catalan giants in 2000-01, including two against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup semi-final.

He would later reveal how the reception he received from the Kop during the second leg was key in his decision to join the Reds.

Reina, who is noted for his superb distribution, played just 11 times during the 2001-02 season, prompting a loan move to Villarreal. The transfer was made permanent in May 2004.

The agile stopper helped Villarreal secure a Champions League spot in 2004-05 season, saving an incredible seven out of nine penalty kicks. It was to be his final deed for the club.

On arriving in Merseyside, the new boy was labelled "the best goalkeeper in Spain" by Rafa Benitez.

Immediately installed as number one at Anfield, his debut came in a Champions League qualifier on July 13, 2005 against TNS. A month later he won his first Spain cap in a 2-0 victory over Uruguay.

What a year it was turning out to be for the young 'keeper. And it was to get even better on December 15 when he and his teammates kept a club record 11th successive clean sheet against Deportivo Saprissa in the World Club Championships.

Reina's first season ended with an FA Cup final against West Ham, and though he made a number of errors in normal time, his habit of saving spot kicks once again made him a hero. Three out of four of West Ham's penalties were blocked and the Cup was heading to Anfield for the seventh time.

Spain coach Luis Aragones took the Liverpool man to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, though Real Madrid's Iker Casillas and Valencia's Santiago Canizares prevented him playing any part.

Back on Merseyside, Reina would soon destroy another club record. His shut out against Blackburn in April 2007 was his 28th in his first 50 league games - three more than Kop legend Ray Clemence.

But there was no time to bask in his own glory, for just around the corner laid a Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. Benitez had his man between the sticks to thank when the Reds returned from the first leg at Stamford Bridge with just a one-goal deficit. The tie ultimately went to penalties, and it was no surprise when Liverpool prevailed. It was later revealed that while Reina was thwarting Arjen Robben and Geremi, thieves were ransacking his home.

Three weeks later in Athens he became only the third player to follow in his father's footsteps by appearing in a European Cup final. Unfortunately, like former Atletico Madrid stopper Miguel Reina Santos, he was on the losing side.

In June 2007, Reina signed a new deal five-year deal at Liverpool.

The season that followed ended without a trophy for the Reds, though our custodian had the personal honour of winning the Golden Glove award for most clean sheets in the Premier League for the third successive year.

Source: liverpoolfc.tv

Fabio Aurelio

Left-back Fabio Aurelio became the first Brazilian to sign for Liverpool in July 2007.

The number 12 has immense technical ability but his Anfield career has so far been blighted by injury.

Aurelio came through the ranks at Sao Paulo, making his first-team debut in 1997.

He represented Brazil at under-17, under-20 and under-21 level, as well as at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

The defender moved to Spanish side Valencia in 2000, working under manager Hector Cuper for a year until Rafa Benitez took the reins.

The 2001-02 season saw Aurelio help Valencia win their first title in 31 years.

From there he established himself as one of La Liga's best left-backs, bagging 10 goals during the 2002-03 campaign.

The following year brought another league title as well as the UEFA Cup, though a broken leg meant the Brazilian defender managed just two games.

Having fulfilled his six-year contract at the Mestalla, Aurelio joined Liverpool on a Bosman free in July 2007.

He made his debut as a substitute in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea on August 13, though a series of injuries would restrict him to 25 games in his first year on Merseyside.

The full-back's season was ended prematurely when he ruptured his Achilles' tendon during a Champions League quarter-final victory over PSV.

After five frustrating months on the sidelines, Aurelio made his comeback as a second-half substitute when Liverpool opened their 2007-08 European campaign in Porto.

A string of impressive performances followed until injury once again meant he saw out the campaign in the treatment room.

Source: liverpoolfc.tv

Javier Mascherano

Midfield enforcer Javier Mascherano signed from West Ham in February 2007.

Since then his dynamic style has established him as a Kop favourite and one of the first names on Rafa Benitez's teamsheet.

The Argentinean has quite a pedigree having come through the ranks at South American giants River Plate. Such was his potential that he earned his first international call-up before kicking a ball for his club.

Having already represented his country in the FIFA Under-17 Championships, Mascherano made his senior debut against Uruguay in July 2003.

The following summer saw him compete in the Copa America. Argentina lost the final to Brazil on penalties but Mascherano was voted player of the tournament by his teammates. A month later he and his countrymen won Olympic gold in Athens.

By this stage, the youngster had accrued quite a fan club, including one of the greatest players of all time. Diego Maradona described him as "a monster of a player destined for great things."

Mascherano joined Brazilian club Corinthians in July 2005, helping them to win the Campeonato Brasileiro in his first season.

From there he travelled to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where his performances led to links with several of Europe's top clubs.

It was West Ham who eventually clinched Mascherano's signature alongside compatriot Carlos Tevez in August 2006, though his time in east London was troubled at best.

After featuring just seven times in six months, he jumped at the opportunity to try his luck on Merseyside.

Despite the presence of Momo Sissoko, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, the new boy quickly established himself as a regular in the Liverpool midfield.

Mascherano made his debut against Sheffield United on February 24, 2007 and three months later won fans' man of the match for his performance in the Champions League final.

While goals are not his forte, he did bag two in the summer of 2007 to help Argentina win the Copa America. His first for Liverpool arrived against Reading in March 2008.

What he lacks in height, he makes up for in power, and the sight of our number 20 thundering across the field to recover possession is as familiar to the Kop as a Fernando Torres goal or a last-ditch tackle from Jamie Carragher.

Source: Liverpoolfc.tv

Steve Finnan

Right-back Steve Finnan signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2003.

A model of consistency, it is often said that the one-time Republic of Ireland international is an unsung hero. Not that you'll struggle to find anyone on the Kop willing to sing his praises.

It was a long journey to the Premier League for Finnan, who began his career with non-league Welling United before turning professional with Birmingham City in 1995.

After only a handful of appearances he was on his way to Notts County, where a string of excellent performances attracted the attention of Fulham boss Kevin Keegan.

Finnan became a firm favourite at Craven Cottage following his £600,000 move in November 1998. Three years later he played a key role in the Londoners' promotion to the top flight.

Having made his international debut against Greece in April 2000, Mr Reliable had no problems adapting to the Premier League, and in 2001-02 he was selected in the PFA Team of the Year ahead of the likes of Gary Neville.

From there he appeared in all four of Ireland's matches during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

Gerard Houllier was suitably impressed and swooped ahead of the 2003-04 season.

Finnan made his Reds debut in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on August 17, 2003. However, a series of injuries disrupted his first year on Merseyside, and the appointment of a new manager in the summer of 2004 prompted some to cast doubt on his future at the club.

The arrival of Spanish defender Josemi did nothing to strengthen the right-back's position, but his ultra-professionalism and composed defending won the day.

A host of players have since arrived to challenge for his slot, but none have come close to ousting the number three.

Finnan started the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, though injury meant he was forced to withdraw at half-time.

In May 2007 he featured in his second European Cup final, playing 88 minutes before Benitez introduced Alvaro Arbeloa.

The popular Irishman signed a new two-year deal in August 2007, with the option of a further year beyond that.

Six months later he announced his retirement from international football.

Source: Liverpool fc.tv

Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt, officially spelled Dirk Kuijt (born July 22, 1980, in Katwijk aan Zee) is a Dutch professional football player, who currently plays for English club Liverpool FC. He plays in the position of striker and is known for his high work-rate and team play. In his early career, and often for the Dutch national team, Kuyt has played on the wing.

Kuyt is an incredibly fit player and has only missed five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006, making 233 appearances.[2] Between March 2001 (playing with FC Utrecht) and April 2006 (Feyenoord) Kuyt played 179 consecutive matches.

Growing up
Kuyt is third of four children. He grew up in the small fishing village of Katwijk aan Zee (at Sea), where his father was a fisherman.[2] His football career began when he joined the local amateur team Quick Boys at age 5. He broke into the first team in March 1998, playing the last six games of the season, and catching the eye of Eredivisie team FC Utrecht.

Utrecht
Kuyt signed professionally for Utrecht that summer, aged 18, and immediately established himself in the first team. However he was more often than not played as a winger, as Utrecht preferred to play Serbian Igor Gluščević up front.

This continued until the 2002–03 season when Utrecht installed Foeke Booy as their new manager. Booy played Kuyt as a striker for the entire season, and Kuyt repaid him with 20 league goals. Utrecht also reached the Dutch Cup final, where they met Feyenoord. Although they were the underdogs Utrecht comfortably won the cup 4-1, with Kuyt scoring one and being given the man-of-the-match award. At the end of the season Kuyt completed a €1 million move to Feyenoord Rotterdam, where he replaced the out-going Pierre Van Hooijdonk.

Feyenoord
At Feyenoord Kuyt immediately became a fan favourite with his continued goal scoring success. His first season saw him net another 20 league goals. The opening game of the 2004–05 season marked Kuyt's first ever hat-trick against De Graafschap. He later went on to score three in the 6-3 victory against ADO Den Haag and ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 29 goals — a career high.

In summer 2005 Kuyt was linked with moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, but no transfer materialised. Kuyt was instead handed the Feyenoord club captaincy and went on to have a third successful season with the club, scoring 25 goals in all competitions.

Over the summer of 2006 Kuyt was again linked with moves to many top English clubs, most notably Liverpool and Newcastle. Rumours started in May with Kuyt stating "I am happy at Feyenoord but would like to play in the Premier League."[3] The rumours continued throughout the summer, finally coming to a head on 16 August when Kuyt was due to play for the Dutch national team against Ireland. Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder was reportedly going to watch Kuyt, and complimentary quotes from him appeared in the press. However, there were also stories saying that Liverpool were poised to sign Kuyt. Kuyt finally completed his move to Liverpool on 18 August for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be in the region of £9 million.

LiverpoolUpon joining Liverpool Kuyt stated "I only wanted to leave Feyenoord for a really big club, and that is what Liverpool are. They are a fantastic, big club and it will be a real pleasure to play here."

After sitting out the first game Kuyt made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against West Ham on 26 August. His first start came against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League and he has been first choice in most games since. In his third start for the club on 20 September 2006 Kuyt scored his first goal against Newcastle United in a Premiership game at Anfield,[5] and followed up with another against Tottenham Hotspur in the next game. He scored his third goal for Liverpool with his father watching the game at Anfield, contributing to Liverpool's 3-1 win over Aston Villa. Two weeks later he bagged a brace, as the only scorer in the Reds' 2-0 victory against Premiership newcomers Reading.

Kuyt has won much praise for his early performances with The Mirror stating "The Dutch striker has the look of a cult hero in the making"[6] and The People reporting that he is "propelling himself towards iconic status."[7] One of the reasons for his early popularity is his post match courtesy to the fans. After each match he walks to every corner of the ground, and applauds the Liverpool supporters.

On the 20th January 2007 Dirk Kuyt scored against Chelsea after only 4 minutes when he headed down a Peter Crouch ball past the Chelsea defence and applied a superb finish past Goalkeeper Petr Cech, Liverpool went on to defeat the champions 2-0. It was the first time Rafa Benitez had defeated Jose Mourinho in the Premiership. It was also the first goal scored by Liverpool against a top 4 club in the league in the 2006/2007 season. Dirk Kuyt's hard work rate and desire to play for Liverpool has caught the eyes of most Liverpool fans. He is liked by most at Liverpool and he is rated as the Player of the Season (so far) by most Liverpool fans. Kuyt added to his account by scoring the 1st goal in the game against West Ham on 30th January 2007, taking him in to double figures for the season. The goal was a fantastic 25 yard strike into the top corner of the net, with West Ham goalkeeper Roy carroll left helpless.

Dirk Kuyt has become Rafa Benitez's first choice striker in recent months. His high work rate and attitude has made him a regular in Rafa's First team. Liverpool fans will be hoping he can continue doing his best for the club. Dirk Kuyt is yet to score in Europe for Liverpool.

International career
Dirk KuytWhen Marco van Basten took over as coach of the Dutch national team he dropped many established players, including strikers Roy Makaay and Patrick Kluivert. Kuyt was to benefit as in September 2004 he made his international debut in Van Basten's first game against Liechtenstein. He has been a permanent fixture in the Dutch squad ever since, making the starting line-up for eleven of the Netherlands' twelve 2006 World Cup qualification matches.

At the World Cup finals Kuyt found himself relegated to the substitutes bench. Although he made an appearance as a 69th minute replacement in the first game against Serbia and Montenegro, he sat the entire second game out. With the team already qualified for the next round Van Basten decided to rest many of his first choice players for the final group game against Argentina, and Kuyt was handed a start in the right wing position.

For the Netherlands' Round of 16 tie against Portugal, Kuyt was given a surprise start ahead of star-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. However, Kuyt did not have a successful game and the Netherlands eventually lost 1-0 in a game that was more reputable for its record breaking diciplinary record (4 red cards and 16 yellow cards).

Fernando Torres

Fernando José Torres Sanz is a Spanish football player and captain of Atlético Madrid.He was born in the Fuenlabrada neighbourhood, traditionally Real Madrid territory, but he grew up to wear the red and white stripes of Atlético Madrid. Nicknamed El Niño (The Kid) for his youthful face, Torres is a striker for the Spanish National Team and Atlético Madrid, where he is considered to be one of their best players ever.

In 1999, Torres signed his first contract with the club and at the end of the 1999–2000 season he was part of the first team. His next success was at the European Under-16 Championship in England in 2001, where he finished as the Player of the Tournament en route to Spain's victory. At the time, Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson was apparently informed of Torres' talent by a Newcastle scout.Robson, however, decided against a move for the Spaniard.

Torres made his début for Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderón Stadium against Leganes and he scored his first goal for the club the following week, in a game against Albacete. 2002 saw Atlético Madrid returning to the first division of Spanish football. In his first season playing in the top division, Torres did not find the transition from second tier football too much of a hindrance as he scored 13 goals. Torres has been the top scorer for Atlético in La Liga for the past four seasons.He is the youngest player to play for Atlético Madrid and the youngest to become captain (at age 19).

Steven Gerrard

Once in a generation a player comes along to whom nothing seems impossible. Luckily, that man wears the number eight shirt at Anfield.

Liverpool's inspirational captain is arguably the most complete footballer in the world. Power, pace, touch and a never-say-die attitude; Stevie G has it all, and rarely have these attributes been more apparent than when he skippered the Reds to 2005 Champions League glory in Istanbul.

Like several of his teammates, the Scouse sensation has collected just about every medal at club level - except the Premier League. He's also captained his country and in 2006 was awarded an MBE by the Queen.

Gerrard's LFC love affair began when he was spotted playing for Whiston Juniors aged nine. Eight years later, after a period as a trainee, he signed his first professional contract.

Within 12 months the starlet had made his first-team debut, coming on as a second-half sub for Vegard Heggem against Blackburn Rovers on November 19, 1998. Gerrard played 13 games in his debut season, in part due to the injury woes of fellow midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

Persistent back and groin problems punctuated his blossoming career, though he'd managed to establish himself as a first-team regular by the start of the 1999-00 season.

It proved to be a momentous campaign for the Whiston-born youngster, not least because of a spectacular first professional goal at Anfield against Sheffield Wednesday. England coach Kevin Keegan was starting to take note.

Having already featured at under-18 and under-21 level, Gerrard was handed his first senior international cap against Ukraine in May 2000. From there he was selected for Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium, but had to settle for just a single substitute appearance.

By now regarded as the complete box-to-box midfielder, he was instrumental in the Reds winning a unique treble in 2001. With the Worthington and FA Cups already in the bag, Gerrard was one of the scorers in an unforgettable 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alaves. It came as no surprise when the man nicknamed the Huyton Hammer was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

The milestones were starting to stack up for Gerrard, who kicked off the following season by netting his first international goal in the famous 5-1 trouncing of Germany in their own backyard. The win helped Sven's men secure a World Cup place, but heartbreak followed when a groin injury ruled the midfield maestro out of Japan and South Korea.

A disappointing domestic season followed, the highlight of which was a Worthington Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Gerrard opened the scoring in a satisfying 2-0 win over Manchester United.

By the start of 2003-04, the midfielder had firmly established himself as Liverpool's on-field leader, and it was no surprise when Houllier handed him the captain's armband in place of Sami Hyypia.

The decision proved such a success that within six months Gerrard was captaining England against Sweden in the absence of David Beckham.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get any better for the Scouser, they did. On May 25, 2005, under new boss Rafa Benitez, Gerrard lifted the club's fifth European Cup.

Having already brought Liverpool back from the brink earlier in the campaign with a last-gasp strike against Olympiacos, the skipper helped inspire the greatest comeback of all time in Istanbul.

No one believed the Reds could overturn AC Milan's 3-0 half-time lead - until Stevie G's 54th minute header, that is.

Liverpool Football CLub

Full Name: Liverpool Football Club


Nickname: The Reds


Founded: March 15th, 1892


Ground: Anfield


Chairman: Tom Hicks and George Gillett


Manager: Rafael Benitez