Liverpool: Which Players Have Most to Prove to Brendan Rodgers Ahead of Season?

Liverpool started their preseason training on Thursday as new manager Brendan Rodgers got to see his new players in action for the first time since taking over from the departed Kenny Dalglish.

While all players involved with their international teams at Euro 2012 and the forthcoming Olympic Games were excluded from training, having been given more time off to recover or already training with their respective nations, there was still a good senior representation at Melwood.

Jamie Carragher, Raheem Sterling and Maxi Rodriguez were amongst those present, while injured duo Charlie Adam and Lucas Leiva stepped up their recoveries with some work too.

Rodgers will undoubtedly be looking to add to his squad in the transfer window, but which of the players currently at Liverpool will be heading for the exit door?

Here are five players with everything to prove to Rodgers if they want to be part of his plans for the 2012-13 season.

Photo courtesy of liverpoolfc.com

Joe Cole

Having spent last season on loan at French club Lille, Joe Cole is back at Melwood and training with Liverpool—for the time being, at least.

Brendan Rodgers was at Chelsea when Cole was arguably at his finest in the blue shirt, so he certainly knows what he is capable of, but he will also see the playmaker's limitations in close proximity now that the two are at Liverpool.

Cole doesn't have the acceleration or the stamina to consistently be a threat from the wider areas of the pitch, and last time he was seen wearing the Red of his parent club, he barely had the confidence or the time on the pitch to be effective either.

He has it all to do if he wants to become more than a free transfer flop at Liverpool.

Danny Wilson

Danny Wilson, a young and talented central defender, has had a fairly frustrating time since swapping the blue of Glasgow Rangers for the Red of Liverpool.

Last season, he featured only sporadically before being loaned out to Blackpool.

Calm on the ball, happy to pass out of defence and giving options both in the centre and on the left when needed, Wilson has nonetheless failed to so far make any real impression on the first team at Anfield and, with just one year left on his current contract, needs to work hard this term if he is to have a long term future at the club.

With Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher and Sebastian Coates ahead of him, it is difficult to see the 20-year-old getting too much playing time in the Premier League, meaning the preseason training and friendlies, as well as perhaps the Europa League qualifying matches in early August, will be of vital importance to him to make his case.

Alberto Aquilani

Many Liverpool fans will be sick of the sight of Alberto Aquilani's name in the media by now after two years of will-he-won't-he rumours and ultimately unsuccessful loan spells.

One year at Juventus and one year at AC Milan show that the stylish central midfielder is more than capable of playing for the top sides, but his place at Anfield has been shrouded in doubt and mistrust, partly on account of the words of his agent, but also with a fair heap of blame for the club to shoulder.

Aquilani is arguably the best-fit midfielder that Liverpool possess in terms of buying into Brendan Rodgers' style of football.

The big questions will be, does he want to stay and play in the Premier League, and will his heart be in it?

If yes, Rodgers will almost certainly rate him as a big part of the squad. If not, he'll be shifted out again—permanently this time.

Stewart Downing

The one real winger Liverpool possess in their squad, Stewart Downing came very much in the category of "failed" for last season's summer transfers.

The former Aston Villa man has a real fight on his hands just to stay in the picture of the first team and may be one of the first high-profile culls as Brendan Rodgers re-shapes the squad as he wants it.

Liverpool will likely take a loss on Downing of up to around £8 million, but they need to accept mistakes were made and begin again in some cases.

Downing has to show Rodgers that he is capable of fitting into an essentially winger-less tactical system, that he can play the quick pressing game alongside the quick passing one and that he can, most tellingly of all, deliver in the final third with improved chance creation.

Jay Spearing

With Liverpool confirmed at having been interested in signing Gylfi Sigurdsson before his Spurs transfer, it is fair to say that the Reds will still be in the market for another midfielder.

Along with Jordan Henderson, Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Charlie Adam and possibly Alberto Aquilani, it makes for a rather crowded section of the pitch at the moment, albeit one which could be significantly improved.

Jay Spearing, then, has a real fight on his hands to show he is worthy of staying at his boyhood club and adding to his 52 Reds appearances garnered so far.

Deployed mostly as the backup to the stricken Lucas last season, Spearing suffered, as he is not a natural defensive midfielder; rather, being the second central player who can press a little more, keep the passing short and simple and provide a second obstruction for attacking opposition players rather than being the main man charged with ending those attacks prematurely.

Spearing may be kept on for another season as a squad player if he is happy with a bit-part role; he is unlikely to make more than the 25 appearances he made last season even with cup competitions taken into account.

If he doesn't impress Rodgers enough to the extent that he is viewed as more indispensable than some of those other names above, however, it may be that the Reds' No. 20 has played his last for Liverpool.

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