5 players who've played for both Liverpool and Atletico Madrid
Liverpool and Atletico Madrid will resume their rivalry on Wednesday at Anfield, in their second meeting in the Champions League group stage this season. Following two epic last-16 duels last year, Liverpool and Atletico played out another pulsating game last month in Madrid, which the Reds won 3-2.
Despite the two clubs employing different game styles, a lot of players have played for both teams over the years. On that note, here's a look at the top five players who've played for both Liverpool and Atletico Madrid:
Note: Although Diogo Jota signed for Atletico Madrid in 2016, he never officially played for them.
#5 Javier Manquillo
Javier Manquillo came through the ranks at both Real Madrid and then Atletico Madrid. He broke into the Atletico first team in 2011 under Diego Simeone, but found opportunities difficult to come by.
Following Atletico's La Liga triumph in 2014, the Spaniard joined Liverpool on loan to continue his development. But his situation at Anfield was hardly any better, as he played only 19 times during the 2014-15 campaign, starting 18.
The Reds subsequently opted against making Manquillo's stay permanent, and the player moved on.
OFFICIAL: Liverpool have terminated Javier Manquillo's 2-year loan deal and he will now return to Atletico Madrid.
Manquillo currently plays for Newcastle United, for whom the right-back has scored once and provided two assists in the Premier League this season.
#4 Maxi Rodriguez
Another famous Argentine export to Spain, Maxi Rodriguez got his first taste of European football with Espanyol. His promising displays there earned him a move to Atletico Madrid in 2005.
Rodriguez remained a mainstay in the side for the next four and a half years, barring a horrific knee injury he suffered in the 2006-07 season. He even assumed the club's captaincy following Fernando Torres' departure.
On This Day in 2010 Liverpool signed Maxi Rodriguez 🇦🇷
Here he is scoring a hattrick away at Fulham ⚽️⚽️⚽️
https://t.co/WTLuCiQoIa
Rodriguez later joined Torres at Anfield in January 2009 on a free transfer. That happened just months after he played against Liverpool, also scoring at Merseyside in the UEFA Champions League.
However, Rodriguez's time at Liverpool was riddled with inconsistencies, and he soon returned to his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys in Argentina in 2012. During his two and a half year spell with the Reds, he scored 17 goals.
The 40-year-old winger has played four games for Old Boys this season, but hasn't opened his account yet.