Liverpool has been the home of some amazing players over the years, many of whom have helped the side win some of the game’s top prizes in history. With a mix of quality English and foreign players, the football on offer at Anfield has always been high quality.
Over time, players decline and new stars enter the team to replace them. Some players, such as legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, adapted their game and retired at the club. However, most could not keep up with the competition at Liverpool, and left for more game-time at other clubs as chances became harder to find.
Glen Johnson
England’s first choice right-back in years gone by, Johnson’s career declined rapidly after 2013 and he moved to Stoke in 2015 for more playing time. He made his debut for Stoke on 9 August 2015 in a 1–0 defeat against his former club Liverpool.
Johnson was Mark Hughes’ first choice at right-back, but a season-ending knee injury dramatically decreased his playing time, a setback which Johnson never really fully recovered from. Towards the end of the campaign, Stoke suffered from a loss of form and Hughes cited Johnson’s absence as one of the main reasons.
Last season, Johnson’s form continued to worsen as he made a mere 10 appearances for Stoke as the Midlands side were relegated to the EFL Championship. He has yet to play in the 2018-19 season.
Martin Skrtel
After an impressive eight-and-a-half years with Liverpool, where he played 319 official games and scored 18 goals, Skrtel joined Fenerbahçe. He was a first-team player at Liverpool, regularly playing in the first XI. He has been named Slovak footballer of the year four times.
On July 14th 2016, Skrtel signed for Fenerbahçe for £5 million. He played well in his first season, starting 31 games and scoring 2 goals. In the summer of 2017, it was rumoured that Skrtel may return to the Premier League, with Swansea, Stoke and Newcastle all interested. However, he later dismissed these rumours and has since remained at the Turkish champions.
Javier Mascherano
The most capped Argentinian player of all time, Javier Mascherano played 94 times in 3 years for Liverpool. Returning from the World Cup in 2010, he reportedly told Roy Hodgson that he wanted to leave the club, much to the disappointment of many Reds fans.
On 28 August 2010, Mascherano agreed terms on a four-year contract with Barcelona for €24 million, going on to play 203 times for the Catalans as a vital member of Pep Guardiola’s unbeatable Barca side. On 26 April 2017, Mascherano scored his first goal for Barcelona, a penalty kick in a La Liga match against Osasuna.
Joe Allen
Playing 91 times at Liverpool over four years at the club, Joe Allen was a very reliable player, favoured by Brendan Rodgers. However, Allen found himself sparse of first-team opportunities by 2016 and made the move to Stoke on a five-year contract for a reported £13 million transfer fee, where he became a key player for the former Premier League outfit.
In his time at Stoke, he has played 78 games in the Premier League and EFL Championship, scoring 7 goals. Following relegation, Allen said he would be willing to stay with the club. Allen signed a new four-year contract with the Potters in June 2018.
Suso
One of the lesser known players on this list, Suso was a flop at Liverpool making a mere 14 appearances in 3 years, scoring no goals. For a forward, this was an appalling record and the Spaniard left to Almeria on loan, making 33 appearances in 2014 before transferring to AC Milan in 2015.
Suso made 77 appearances for the Italians but only scored 13 goals, another poor record.