Last weekend saw eight years since Jurgen Klopp first arrived on Merseyside as the new manager of Liverpool. His first match in charge came nine days later, when the Reds travelled to take on Tottenham Hotspur to mark the German’s debut at the hilt on October 17th, 2015.
It ended goalless but it was the start of things to come and the making of a beautiful partnership between the boss and his side. Since Klopp’s first match with the Reds, he has added to Liverpool’s glittering trophy cabinet, including their sixth Champions League title and first ever triumph in the Premier League.
But do you remember where it all began, with that famous XI against Spurs to mark the start of Klopp’s Anfield story? These familiar faces have all since left the club, so let’s look back at each player and what they’ve been up to since their departures.
1. GK — Simon Mignolet
Mignolet joined Club Brugge for £6.4 million in 2019 and after losing his No.1 spot at Liverpool to Loris Karius, he opened up a coffee shop in Belgium called ‘Twenty Two’.
2. RB — Nathaniel Clyne
Clyne eventually lost his place for the up and coming Trent Alexander-Arnold. He was sent out on loan to Bournemouth in 2019 before leaving permanently for Crystal Palace in 2020.
3. CB — Martin Škrtel
Škrtel left the club after eight years to join Fenerbahçe in 2019 and has since been with Atalanta, İstanbul Başakşehir smd Spartak Trnava. He retired last year but kept his promise to play for boyhood club FK Hajskala Ráztočno in a local league.
4. CB — Mamadou Sakho
Sakho left the Reds in 2017 to join Crystal Palace after a successful loan spell before eventually leaving the Premier League to sign for current club Montpellier in 2021.