Top Ten Liverpool Signings of The Noughties
Roy Hodgson has taken over as Liverpool's new manager for the 2010/11 season and has a tough act to follow, after Rafa Benitez led the Reds to the 2005 European Cup and the 2006 FA Cup, in addition to another European final in 2007.
Rafa's reign may have ended somewhat sourly after an abysmal final campaign but there is no doubt he brought some extreme highs to Anfield.
Similarly, when Gerard Houllier left Liverpool before Rafa's arrival, he left with a disappointing final season souring memories of what were some extraordinary times at the club, including the magnificent treble season comprising part of the five trophies Houllier landed in six months in 2001.
Recent signings Joe Cole and Raul Meireles may yet make it into Anfield folklore but for now, we take a look back now at the finest signings the Spanish and French managers made while at Liverpool from 2000 to 2010, and what they contributed to the club.
Number 10: John Arne Riise (2001-2008, Houllier)
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Norway's ginger-haired full back makes it into the number ten slot. For seven seasons JAR raided down Liverpool's left side after being signed by Gerard Houllier, mostly in defence but on many occasions as a left midfielder.
Scoring early on against Bayern Munich in the Super Cup set the tone for Riise's early Liverpool career, during which he went on to net a total of 31 goals in almost 350 games.
He won the Champions League in 2005 during which he set up Gerrard's header at the beginning of Liverpool's famous comeback, and netted a penalty in the FA Cup final shoot out a year later.
Arguably Riise's most fantastic individual moment in a Reds shirt came in his first season against Manchester United where he smashed a free kick into the top corner of the net.
Lost his form towards the end of his Reds career but certainly did enough in the first five seasons to merit inclusion in this list.
Number 9: Markus Babbel (2000-2004, Houllier)
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Markus Babbel was signed on a free transfer from German side Bayern Munich and had a magnificent debut season at Anfield.
His attacking forays from right back saw him win the fans' admiration immediately and he featured prominently in our treble season, culminating in him scoring in the UEFA Cup Final against Alaves and being labelled as Liverpool's best right back since the likes of Rob Jones.
Unfortunately his time at Anfield was cut short when he contracted the debilitating Guillain-Barre Syndrome which meant he missed almost the entire following season. Babbel fought to regain his place but the illness had robbed him of much of his confidence and physical prowess and Babbel was loaned to Blackburn before moving back to Germany.
Scored a total of six goals for the Reds in 73 games.
Number 8: Javier Mascherano (2007-2010, Benitez)
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Argentina captain Javier Mascherano moved to the Premier League from Brazilian outfit Corinthians along with compatriot Carlos Tevez. However he failed to shine at West Ham and was restricted to being on the bench for much of the season.
Rafa Benitez swooped to sign him on loan for the second half of the 2006/07 season and the combative midfielder played his part in Liverpool's run to the UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to AC Milan.
One quarter of the chant from the terraces of the Kop, Liverpool's "best midfield in the world" was frequently a stronger place when the tough tackling and energetic Mascherano was at its heart.
Unfortunately, family reasons seemed to be a driving force behind Javier's wishes to leave Liverpool this season and he recently completed a transfer to FC Barcelona. A disappointing end to what was a terrific start with the club, but he was indeed a very good player in his short time at Anfield.
Number 7: Daniel Agger (Current, Benitez)
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The Great Dane, Danny Agger, has been a mainstay of the Liverpool defence since signing in 2006. Although injuries have at time stopped him from playing as many games as he could, his talent and determination make him all the more noticeable when he is in the team.
Tough tackling and hugely confident with the ball at his feet, Agger is a great outlet for the defence and plays well into midfield. Has in recent times covered at left back for the Reds but one of the best central defenders in the league when on top of his game.
His shots from range have delighted fans in the Kop, his goal against West Ham especially proving memorable.
Number 6: Jerzy Dudek (2001-2007, Houllier)
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Jerzy Dudek.
Evermore will this name be remembered by Liverpool supporters all over the world.
During his Reds career he went from being one of the best goalkeepers in the league to someone fans spoke about with a certain apprehension, as several high-profile mistakes - including against Manchester United - rattled his confidence and dented his form.
Even en-route to the best night of his footballing life, Dudek spilled a tame late effort in the Champions League second round first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, meaning they scored an away goal and left Liverpool's progression hanging in the balance.
But all that was to change over the course of two-and-a-bit hours of football in Istanbul, Turkey in 2005.
After Liverpool had gone 3-0 down to AC Milan in the Champions League Final, they clawed it back to 3-3. Late on in the game, star Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko had the goal at his mercy with Dudek prone on the floor - and somehow he threw out an arm and saved Shevchenko's shot.
And there was more to come - heroics in the penalty shootout saw two Milan players fail to convert before Dudek came face to face with Shevchenko again, and again the Polish 'keeper denied him, winning Liverpool the greatest prize in European football in the process, and forever writing his own name into the annuls of footballing history.
Number 5: Luis Garcia (2004-2007, Benitez)
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"Luis Garcia, he drinks sangria".
Another of the Kop's infamous chants was directed at the little schemer from Spain. Alternately brilliant and infuriating, Garcia had twin habits of losing the ball needlessly and scoring the big goals when it really mattered most.
Aside from his pictured goal against Chelsea in the semi final of the Champions League, he also netted in the quarter finals against Juventus, an FA Cup semi final again against Chelsea, plus other spectacular strikes against the likes of Norwich and Arsenal in the Premiership.
Injury curtailed his final season at Anfield and he missed out on the 2006 FA Cup final due to suspension, but he more than played his part in the biggest victory of all in 2005.
Scored a total of 30 goals for Liverpool in 121 games before returning to Spain with Atletico Madrid.
Number 4: Xabi Alonso (2004-2009, Benitez)
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Rafa Benitez swooped to sign midfield maestro Xabi Alonso soon after his arrival at the club, and it proved to be a most shrewd piece of business.
The likes of Real Madrid had long been linked with the player but Rafa got his man and he went on to be a key player at Liverpool for the next five seasons.
Spectacular goals from inside his own half against Newcastle and Luton were allied to a magnificent range of passing ability; indeed he drew comparisons from several quarters to Liverpool great Jan Molby.
Alonso took and missed a penalty in Liverpool's 2005 Champions League win - but crucially followed up the rebound and smashed into the top corner to pull Liverpool level at 3-3, before they went on to win on penalties.
His final season at Anfield was arguably his best, before he left to join the expensively-assembled Real Madrid team in 2009 after playing over 200 games for Liverpool.
Number 3: Gary McAllister (2000-2002, Houllier)
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Gerard Houllier once claimed that Gary Mac was his "most inspirational signing". Its hard to disagree, as McAllister's experience steadied a midfield bursting with youth and energy during the 2001 treble season, playing alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy and Didi Hamann.
His set pieces were legendary and his cool temperament frequently saw him pick the right course of action, both in open play and dead ball situations.
Not only did he score a penalty against Barcelona to set Liverpool on their way to the 2001 UEFA Cup Final but also scored an amazing 44 yard free kick in injury time of the Merseyside derby against Everton to hand Liverpool a late victory, a game which was later seen as being the catalyst for Liverpool's run of form culminating in the three trophy wins.
Scored 9 goals in just shy of 90 games for the club, and one wonders just what he may have achieved had he been able to join Liverpool earlier on in his career.
Number 2: Fernando Torres (Current, Benitez)
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Not much more can be written about Fernando Torres that hasn't already been said; he is one of the world's finest strikers and can score just about every type of goal conceivable.
From his first goal for Liverpool against Chelsea to his latest (currently against West Brom), Torres has had a knack of finding the net for the Reds on a regular basis. Skillful, strong and able to finish with both feet and his head, Torres has already scored more than 70 times for Liverpool in 121 games.
Has admittedly had problems with injuries but once they are behind him and he is able to put a string of games together, there is no sharper striker in the country. His pace and ability to take on a man make him just as dangerous 30 yards from goal as on the edge of the six yard box. With Torres up front the Reds are almost guaranteed goals, and long may they continue to come from our number 9. Bounce!
Number 1: Pepe Reina (Current, Benitez)
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Jose Manuel Reina is one of the finest goalkeepers in the world today.
Lightening reflexes, excellent distribution and magnificent aerial ability combine to make him one of the safest pairs of hands around and arguably Liverpool's finest goalkeeper of all time.
From the moment he joined Liverpool in 2005 he set about breaking records, firstly racking up an astounding 11 clean sheets in a row before breaking Ray Clemence's record by keeping 28 clean sheets in his first 50 league games.
Reina has won the Golden Gloves award three times already since arriving in England as the personal awards accumulate, and has also enjoyed trophy success at both club and international level.
In 2006 he was Liverpool's saviour in the penalty shoot out against West Ham in the FA Cup Final, saving three out of four penalties, before repeating his heroics in the Champions League the following season as we knocked out Chelsea again.
He was also part of Spain's triumphant 2008 European Championships and 2010 World Cup winning squads.
Reina is a master at organising his defence and with him behind the likes of Carragher and Agger Liverpool's future is in safe hands.
