Who Is Set to Be Liverpool's Next Big Star?
When Raheem Sterling left Liverpool for Manchester City this summer, the feeling among Reds supporters was mostly happiness that the club received £49 million for a wantaway player whose attitude had infuriated the club and fanbase.
But Sterling's is another in a long list of star names to leave Anfield in recent years. The Jamaica-born winger joined the club's longest-serving captain, Steven Gerrard on the departure list this summer.
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The previous year saw Luis Suarez, arguably the third-best player in the world, leave for pastures new. He was joined by then-vice-captain Daniel Agger in leaving the Reds in 2014.
The summer before saw Pepe Reina the club—initially on loan for Napoli, later joining Bayern Munich on a permanent deal.
Losing Reina, Agger, Suarez, Gerrard and Sterling in just two years has shorn the Liverpool squad of their star names, players who are world-renowned and recognised. Players who sell shirts, get fans excited and, of course, win football matches.
Right now, Liverpool do not have a star name as such, although Philippe Coutinho is emerging as the face of Brendan Rodgers' new-look team, as shown by his match-winning goal in the opening fixture at Stoke City.
The photos of Coutinho celebrating alongside new signings James Milner and Roberto Firmino are evocative, providing superb imagery for club PR, marketing and commercial activity.
Lack of Star Names
This summer, Liverpool returned to Asia, as they do every two years for pre-season, a continent where supporters are passionate and loyal but also where the more casual football supporter often follows a player rather than a specific club.
Without Sterling and Gerrard, and indeed Coutinho because of his Copa America involvement, Liverpool's pre-season squad was severely lacking star quality.
It was this that Andrew Doh, co-promoter of the Malaysia leg of the Reds’ pre-season tour, blamed for the 30,000 drop in attendance from the last time Liverpool played in Kuala Lumpur.
"After Steven Gerrard’s departure, the attendance certainly dropped as most fans wanted to see him and Sterling as well," he said, per the Guardian.
"Based on the feedback we received, last season’s performance also contributed. If they can get some big names in, some players who are more prominent, they will become more popular again."
Similarly, the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok was also half-empty for the opening friendly against True Thai All Stars. As explained by the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce:
"Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool played in front of a full house at the Rajamangala in 2009 and there were 45,000 there in 2013 when Rodgers’ side beat the All Stars 3-0. This time that figure was somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000.
It was a similar story at other events across the city and at the team hotel—hundreds rather than thousands packing in to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
Only around 1,500 fans watched open training 24 hours before the match—there were 10 times that amount two years ago.
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Benitez's squad in 2009 featured Gerrard, Agger, Reina, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano. All world-class, world-renowned players.
Squad Numbers
Liverpool will be keen to ensure this trend doesn't continue and that new star names develop, ready to become the face of the club across the world.
Some people may claim a squad number isn't important, but it can be for commercial reasons, and the evolution of Liverpool's No. 9 is a pretty good barometer of star quality.
The Reds went from Torres to Andy Carroll to Iago Aspas to Rickie Lambert. Now, they finally have a No. 9 who will is a first-choice player who will hopefully provide the goals to warrant the number on his back.
It's a similar story with No. 11, last worn by Oussama Assaidi, which fellow new signing and potential next big star name Roberto Firmino has been awarded.
It means that arguably Liverpool's first-choice front three will be sporting Nos. 9, 10 and 11. They are the three main men at Anfield, along with Daniel Sturridge once he returns, and the club's most marketable players.
Next Star
The candidates for Liverpool's next big star are Coutinho, Firmino, Benteke, Sturridge and newly appointed captain Jordan Henderson.
Right now, it's Coutinho who looks most likely to take on the mantle, owing largely to his ability to hit eye-catching goals from outside the box.
Brazilian legend Kaka recently spoke about how Coutinho can become the next big player, replacing Gerrard as the go-to man at Anfield, per the Mirror:
"There will be a lot of expectation on him with Liverpool fighting to get back into the Champions League, but I know that he can handle it.
One great player doesn’t make a team, but you can build a team around one great player, and I believe he can be that player.
Coutinho is a humble guy. He won't talk about being able to replace a legend like Steven Gerrard, and the truth is nobody could ever replace him, but with Gerrard gone they do need somebody to step up — and he can do that.
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Coutinho is emerging as the player Liverpool fans look to when their team needs that piece of inspiration, just as he provided at Stoke.
Hopefully, as time allows, Firmino and Benteke will add to that.
But perhaps the strongest competitor for the title of Liverpool's next big star is Sturridge—if the Englishman can remain fit.
It's easy to forget Sturridge hit an incredible 24 goals in 33 appearances in 2013/14. If he returns and rediscovers that form, he will become the new star for not just Liverpool but also the Premier League.
There's certainly a huge opportunity for Henderson, Coutinho, Firmino, Benteke or Sturridge to emerge as the next big star in a long list of Liverpool greats.
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