5 players you didn't know played for Liverpool
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool are undoubtedly one of England’s biggest football clubs. And so it’s no surprise that plenty of great players have pulled on the famous red jersey over the years, including Steven Gerrard, Mo Salah and Luis Suarez.
However, there have been plenty of other famous players who played for Liverpool only for their time at Anfield to be forgotten entirely.
The Liverpool careers of Gerrard, Salah and the like will be remembered by Reds fans and neutral observers alike. However, the Anfield tenure of the following five players was entirely forgettable despite them seeing success elsewhere.
Here are five players you never knew played for Liverpool.
#1 Victor Moses (19 appearances for Liverpool)
Winger Victor Moses first made his name in the Premier League with Crystal Palace after breaking through from their academy and then with Wigan Athletic.
The Nigeria international enjoyed an impressive season with the Latics in 2011-12, appearing in all 38 of their Premier League games and scoring six goals.
It came as no surprise when a bigger club – in this case Chelsea – snapped him up soon after. However, following a decent first season at Stamford Bridge, it quickly became clear that new boss Jose Mourinho – who returned in the summer of 2013 – didn’t fancy him.
Moses subsequently went on a series of loan moves, with his first one being a trip to Liverpool.
The Nigerian actually scored on his Liverpool debut in a 2-2 draw with Swansea, but that was probably his highest point at Anfield.
Unable to break into Liverpool’s first team – largely due to the form of youngster Raheem Sterling – Moses only played 22 games for the Reds, with just nine starts.
His forgettable Liverpool tenure ended at the end of the 2013-14 campaign. He then headed back to Chelsea – who promptly continued to loan him out until an unlikely resurgence in 2016-17 saw him help the Blues to the Premier League title.
#2 Joe Cole (26 appearances for Liverpool)
When Joe Cole moved to Liverpool on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer of 2010, the move was met with plenty of hype.
The fact that he’s on a list like this should probably tell you that things didn’t go to plan at all.
The England international arrived at Anfield during a turbulent time for the club, as Roy Hodgson had just begun what would become an ill-fated spate as manager.
Cole was labelled “as talented as Lionel Messi” by his new teammate Steven Gerrard, but he never managed to show that kind of form on the pitch.
He was sent off in his Premier League debut for the Reds, and his third appearance for Liverpool saw him miss a penalty against Trabzonspor.
Struck down with various injuries, Cole only managed 20 league games in his first season with Liverpool, nine of which were starts.
After a disappointing campaign, he departed on a season-long loan move to Lille before returning to Anfield for the 2012-13 campaign.
This time, he lasted half a season, making just six appearances for the Reds from the bench before heading to West Ham, first on loan and then on a permanent move.
What could’ve been a tremendous deal for Liverpool ended up being a waste of time. A decade later, Cole’s tenure with the Reds has largely been forgotten.