Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015 after leaving Dortmund as their longest-serving manager. It is safe to say that the German boss has transformed the Reds completely in a very short period. “We have to change from doubters to believers. Now,” Klopp said on his first day as Liverpool manager.
In his first season as Liverpool manager, he guided the Reds to League Cup and UEFA Europa League finals. And now, just four years later, he has turned UCL spot fighters to European champions. However, all this didn’t happen overnight. The Reds are currently sitting top of the league table and are just two wins away from winning their first league title in the Premier League era.
The league was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, no Premier League football and we are bored. So here is a throwback to Klopp’s first-ever Liverpool line-up and where are those players now? Klopp’s first-ever Premier League game was against Tottenham Hotspur and the Reds played out a scoreless draw.
This is how his first XI looked like:
MIGNOLET
CLYNE SKRTEL SAKHO MORENO
LUCAS EMRE CAN
MILNER COUTINHO LALLANA
ORIGI
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at where they are now.
Goalkeeper:
Simon Mignolet – Club Brugge
The Belgian is currently plying his trade with Club Brugge after assigning a 5-year contract with the Belgian champions in 2019. He signed for Liverpool in the 2016 winter transfer window and eight days later saved two penalties to send Liverpool to the final of the League Cup. He made over 200 appearances for the Reds in four seasons.
Defenders:
Nathan Clyne – Liverpool
It seems Clyne has been around for ages. He signed for the Reds in 2015. Before the 2017-18 season, he suffered from a back injury that put him on the sidelines till March 2018. He joined Bournemouth on a 6-month loan for the 2018-19 season. He suffered from another injury last summer during the pre-season game against Dortmund. His contract is set to expire next month and will leave Anfield as a free agent.
Martin Skrtel – Istalbul Basaksehir
Skrtel spent eight and a half years at Anfield before signing for Fenerbahce in 2016. He’s currently under contract at Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey. He made over 300 appearances for Liverpool scoring 18 goals for the Reds. He also won the Liverpool Player of the Year award in 2012.
Mamadou Sakho – Crystal Palace
The French defender started his senior career at Paris-Saint Germain and moved to Liverpool in 2013. He spent three and a half years at Anfield before moving to Crystal Palace on loan and then making the move permanent. Sakho excelled under Rodger in 2013-14 season in a three-man backline.
Alberto Moreno – Villarreal CF
The Spanish full-back started his career are Sevilla and joined Liverpool in 2014. After winning the Europa League with Sevilla, he lost the tournament with Liverpool in 2016 against his former team. He made over 140 appearances with the Reds. He used to be a regular under Klopp in the 2017-18 season but lost his position to Robertson later that season. He is currently playing for Villareal in Spain.
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Midfielders:
Lucas Leiva – Lazio
The Brazilian number 6 joined Liverpool in 2007 from Gremio and made over 350 appearances for the Reds. After spending ten years at Anfield, he joined Lazio and was named their player of the year in his first season. He has been an integral part of Lazio’s squad this season who are 2nd in the Serie A table, just one point behind leaders Juventus.
Emre Can – Borussia Dortmund
The German midfielder signed for Liverpool from Leverkusen in 2014. He joined Juventus as a free agent in 2018 but fell out of favor there as well and was sent out on loan to Dortmund. Dortmund made the loan move permanent in February this season.
James Milner – Liverpool
Milner signed for Liverpool in 2015 and has now become an integral part of Klopp’s squad. His versatility offers Klopp a lot of choices. He has played as a midfielder, defensive midfielder, full-back under Klopp. He has made over 200 appearances for the Reds so far and extended his contract till 2022 last year.
Philippe Coutinho – Bayern Munich (on loan from FC Barcelona)
The 27-year-old Brazilian joined Liverpool in 2013 from Inter. He made over 200 appearances for the Reds and scored 54 goals in the process. He forced a move to Barcelona in 2018 but his career has been on a downfall since that move. He was sent on loan to Bayern before the 2019-20 season and it’s highly unlikely that the Bavarians will make the move permanent.
Adam Lallana – Liverpool
Lallana joined Liverpool in 2014 and has been a good servant of the club. However, he is set to leave Liverpool after this season as his contract expires next month. He has made over 180 appearances for the Reds scoring 22 goals.
Striker:
Divock Origi – Liverpool
The Belgian forward joined Liverpool in 2014 and is still a part of Klopp’s squad. He also spent two seasons on loan at Lille and Wolfsburg. He is not a regular starter but always features for the Reds in all competitions. He has played 22 games in the Premier League this season but has started only 5 games. However, he is happy under Klopp and signed a long-term contract at Liverpool last year.
Klopp’s Reds have come a long way since that hard-fought draw against Tottenham. They secured 97 points last season in the Premier League and this season they are on verge of winning the title for the first time in 30 years.
Now, let’s take a look at the last XI Klopp used in their win against Bournemouth this season:
ADRIAN
TRENT JOE GOMEZ VAN DIJK MILNER
WIJNALDUM FABINHO OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
SALAH FIRMINO MANE
A lot has changed since that draw against Tottenham. Let’s just say this Liverpool side is miles ahead of Klopp’s first XI in England.
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