Stewart Downing: Former Liverpool Winger out to Go Full Circle for Middlesbrough

Liverpool's trip to the Riverside Stadium to take on Middlesbrough on Wednesday night will reunite the Reds with four of their former players in Daniel Ayala, Antonio Barragan, David Nugent and Stewart Downing, along with a host of players linked with a move to Merseyside in the past.

However, while the likes of Victor Valdes, Gaston Ramirez and Adama Traore will be looking to make their mark on their former suitors, for Downing in particular, this clash provides a fitting juncture to put the ghosts of his Anfield tenure to bed.

The Reds make their way to Teesside having played out a frustrating 2-2 draw with West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, slipping further away from Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

But coming up against a newly promoted Middlesbrough side, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool can hope to improve their fortunes with a comfortable victory—ahead of a testing run of festive fixtures.

• Middlesbrough (A), December 14
• Everton (A), December 19
• Stoke City (H), December 27
• Manchester City (H), December 31

Downing could be one of those standing in their way, and his presence serves as a reminder of a more troubled time for the club and a symbol of how far they have progressed over the past five years.

The 32-year-old, now at the tail end of his career in the English top flight, is emblematic of a malaise that Liverpool have worked to rid themselves of in recent seasons—but Wednesday night gives Downing an opportunity to right the wrongs of his failed spell as the Reds' No. 19.

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Downing joined Liverpool at a troubled period for supporters, with Kenny Dalglish having taken over managerial duties from Roy Hodgson in January 2011, the club legend overseeing transfers alongside director of football Damien Comolli.

The arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in the weeks following Dalglish's appointment served to highlight the confused nature of Liverpool's business—striking a contrast between proven, homegrown talent and more astute acquisitions from the continent.

Carroll, a battering ram of a centre-forward renowned for his aerial ability, was to take up the focal role in Dalglish's attack, but after six months, it was deduced that the club's record signing required better service.

Downing was signed from Aston Villa for a sizeable fee of £20 million, with the England international one of seven players joining the club before the 2011/12 campaign:

• Jordan Henderson, from Sunderland: £16 million
• Charlie Adam, from Blackpool: £6.7 million
• Doni, from AS Roma: Free
• Stewart Downing, from Aston Villa: £20 million
• Jose Enrique, from Newcastle United: £5 million
• Sebastian Coates, from Nacional: £7 million
• Craig Bellamy, from Manchester City: Free

Dalglish lasted just 10 months after Downing's arrival, with owner Fenway Sports Group relieving the Scot of his duties at the end of the season, the Reds having finished eighth in the Premier League; Downing had scored just two goals and assisted another four in 46 appearances in all competitions, failing to hit the back of the net in any of his 36 games in the league.

Brendan Rodgers, appointed Dalglish's replacement ahead of 2012/13, relied heavily on the natural winger in his first season with the club, but as Downing revealed in 2014, this served as a low point in his career, regularly utilised out of position as a left-back.

"I wasn't happy playing left-back. It is not my natural position. But I knew from then it was the time for me to move," he said. "I was getting signals other players were coming in, and I was getting used at left-back when I was a winger. I think you know when the writing is on the wall for you under a manager or at a club."

Downing left Liverpool in 2013, joining West Ham in a deal worth around £5 million, with the club's £15 million loss a damning reflection on his time on Merseyside—a two-year spell that brought seven goals and 12 assists in 91 appearances.

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Downing's career has taken an admirable trajectory since his failed spell at Anfield, with the endeavour he showcased in initially earning his place back under Rodgers—playing 293 minutes in the league in the first four months of 2012/13 and 1,902 in the six months to follow—enduring.

His time with West Ham proved to be a positive one, and starting 29 of his 32 league appearances in 2013/14 and then each of his 37 league outings in 2014/15, he established himself as a key player at the Boleyn Ground.

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Fittingly, one of his best performances for the Hammers came against Liverpool in 2014 when, deployed in an unorthodox role as Sam Allardyce's No. 10, Downing eviscerated the ageing Steven Gerrard.

Downing made three key passes, more than any Liverpool player on the evening, exploiting Gerrard's weaknesses in the deep-lying role in Rodgers' diamond midfield.

"Our tactic was to close down Steven Gerrard. That was Stewart's job, and not only did he do that but he was so creative as well," Allardyce told reporters after the game. "He was fantastic. He gets more touches of the ball in that position, and I am sure he is enjoying it."

Just four months later, Gerrard announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.

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Downing left West Ham to rejoin his boyhood club, Middlesbrough, at the same time, dropping down to the Championship in the process—a move that served to highlight his determination to play, after having already taken a pay cut to join the Hammers.

Earning promotion in his first season back with the club, Downing has worked to restore Middlesbrough to their former glory, having suffered relegation to the Championship at the end of his initial eight-year spell in the first team at the Riverside in 2009.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have moved on for the better, enjoying a title challenge in 2013/14 and, after a significant upheaval in personnel, now stand to do the same under Klopp this time around. 

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Whether Downing will start on Wednesday night remains to be seen, however, with Aitor Karanka omitting him from his starting lineup since November's 1-1 draw with Manchester City—leading to a frank discussion with the Englishman in his office at the club's training ground.

But with Ramirez facing a race against time to prove his fitness after picking up a foot injury in Middlesbrough's 1-0 win at home to Hull City on December 5, Downing could get his chance.

Liverpool have not won at Riverside since March 2002, a 2-1 victory in the Premier League, with Gareth Southgate scoring the home side's consolation effort; since then, the Reds have drawn four times on Teesside, suffering three defeats.

Their last clash away to Middlesbrough came in February 2009, with Southgate assuming a different role as manager, leading his side to a 2-0 victory.

Downing was BBC Sport's Man of the Match, and it was his corner that led to Xabi Alonso's defining own goal in the 32nd minute—it is this calibre of performance that he will be hoping to conjure if called upon against his old side once again.

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Middlesbrough head into the clash 16th in the Premier League table, and with Karanka's talented squad—including the likes of Adama Traore, Cristhian Stuani, Marten de Roon, Viktor Fischer and Alvaro Negredo—yet to mesh together, it can be argued that Downing's experience is needed.

The hosts have won one of their last five games in all competitions, and two of their last five at home, but come up against a Liverpool side on a disappointing run of their own, having taken just two wins from their last five league games, losing momentum after the November international break.

Downing has spent much of his career battling as the underdog, and if he dons the No. 19 shirt again on Wednesday night, he will be eager to prove his worth once more.

That this could see him heap further misery on his old employer should serve as added motivation, as Downing could be key to helping to push his boyhood club further away from the relegation zone with a win.

Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and WhoScored.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow Jack on Twitter @jacklusby and Facebook here.