Liverpool FC: Picking the Top Team of Still Active Ex-Reds

When Kenny Dalglish sells a player, it is either because he no longer wants him or because the player no longer wants to stay at the club. The same can be said for Rafa Benitez, Gerard Houllier, and every other Liverpool manager in the club's history.

The one thing that stays in common is that that player now plays for another club, and that he will now contribute for that other club.

Some will fail there, some will succeed there. Some will get better, some will get worse. Sometimes Liverpool love the deal they get, and sometimes they grow to regret it.

This is the starting XI of players who have once played under the Anfield lights but now ply their trade elsewhere. For the purpose of this article, a 3-5-2 formation will be used.

GK: Brad Friedel

Tottenham - 40

An often forgotten but crucial moment in Brad Friedel's career was when, in 1997, Roy Evans signed the then 28-year-old goalkeeper from American club Columbus Crew.

A late bloomer, Friedel was immediately implemented as David James' understudy. There he remained for the next three seasons, never quite managing to establish himself as a starter for the Merseyside club.

They allowed him to join Blackburn Rovers in 2000, as Liverpool brought in Dutch legend Sander Westerveld.

Since the transfer, Friedel has become widely recognized as one of the Premier League's better 'keepers. He would go on to make almost 300 league appearances for Blackburn, before eventually stepping up on the footballing ladder, moving to Aston Villa in 2008.

He now plies his trade for Tottenham Hotspur and, despite being one of the League's senior players, appears to still have plenty left in the tank.

In fact, before this season, Friedel had completed seven straight seasons of playing all 38 games. It wouldn't at all be surprising to see the American stopper continue his career for a number more years. 

Honourable Mention: Scott Carson (Bursaspor)

LB: Stephen Warnock

Aston Villa - 26

Born in the Merseyside area, Stephen Warnock grew straight into the Liverpool academy as a footballing prodigy. He came through the system as a highly touted prospect, but unfortunately never managed to fully establish himself in the first squad under competition from the likes of John Arne Riise.

He was sold by the Reds in January 2007 after Liverpool had brought in Alvaro Arbeloa to play down the left side of defence, forcing Warnock further down the depth chart.

Stephen Warnock joined Blackburn Rovers, where he quickly broke onto the Premier League scene. He would join Aston Villa in August 2009, where he has since emerged as one of the League's elite left-sided defenders.

Warnock was part of England's 2010 World Cup squad and was for a long time speculated to be in for a return to Anfield in an effort to solve their left-back problems.

Kenny Dalglish would settle for Jose Enrique. 

Honourable Mention: John Arne Riise (Fulham)

CB: Zak Whitbread

Norwich City - 27

Another American-born player, Zak Whitbread actually grew up through the Liverpool academy. Having grown up in Cheshire, Whitbread joined the Centre of Excellence at the tender age of eight.

He worked his way through the system and was always considered an elite prospect, before eventually making his first-team debut at the age of 20.

However, he never solidified his place in the first eleven, and was eventually signed by Millwall in the summer of 2006. 

Whitbread quickly established himself as one of the better centre-backs in the Football League. He would make a long-anticipated return to the Premier League at the beginning of the 2011-12 season, after playing a vital role in Norwich City's promotion push after joining them in the summer of 2010.

He has struggled with injuries early on in the season, but is expected to return soon and again become an important part of their first XI.

Honourable Mention: Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Wolfsburg)

RB: Alvaro Arbeloa

Real Madrid - 28

Spanish right-back Alvaro Arbeloa only spent two seasons at Anfield, but in that time had a big effect on the Reds' defence.

Arbeloa, a versatile defender, joined from Deportivo La Coruna in 2006 and quickly cemented himself in the Liverpool starting XI, starring as primarily a right-sided defender. He left in July 2009 after a clash with well-respected Reds' defender Jamie Carragher, rejoining former club Real Madrid in a £5 million deal.

While Arbeloa has never become a "key" player at Real, he has established himself as an important utility player. Because of his versatility and strength all over the field, Arbeloa has become a player Jose Mourinho can put out in any situation and expect results. He is the kind of player Liverpool could use at the moment. 

Honourable Mention: Emiliano Insua (Sporting Lisbon)

CDM: Javier Mascherano

Barcelona - 27

Brought in from West Ham in February 2007, Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano quickly became an important player for the Reds.

Known for his tireless work-rate and defensive awareness, he was often implemented in the side as a defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back-line but holding back from the central midfielders.

Mascherano left the club for Barcelona in August 2010 for a fee of £22 million. When his Barca won the Champions League in 2011, the then 26-year-old dedicated the victory to Liverpool fans, who he had created a strong bond with during his time at the club.

Mascherano is another player who has become a key contributor at his new club. Mascherano is often used in the Barcelona side because of how well he seems to balance out the side, creating a strong link between the stingy defence and the offense-minded midfield.

At just 27, he still has a bright future ahead of him with the Catalan club. 

Honourable Mention: Momo Sissoko (PSG)

LM: Luis Garcia

Puebla - 33

Luis Garcia arrived at Anfield from Barcelona in August 2004 as part of Rafa Benitez's Spanish overhaul. Initially expected to be a squad player, Garcia quickly emerged as a key part of the Liverpool side.

A versatile, well-rounded player, Garcia is perhaps best known for scoring the controversial goal that lifted Liverpool over rivals Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semifinal.

Homesick, he would return to Spain in 2007 to join former club Atletico Madrid. It would be a major blow to the Liverpool XI, who have never quite managed to replace the versatile Spanish winger.

Since leaving Liverpool, Garcia has been somewhat of a journeyman in the footballing world. He would leave Atletico in 2009, and since then has played for Racing Santander, Panathinaikos, and now, Puebla FC in the Mexican First Division.

He appears to be in the twilight of his career, which is a shame in many ways as during his prime he was a pure wing wizard for the Reds. Had he stayed, he could have been one of the greats. 

Honourable Mention: Ryan Babel (TSG Hoffenheim)

CM: Raul Meireles

Chelsea - 28

The 2011 PFA Fans' Player of the Year, Raul Meireles spent one very successful season at Anfield. Having joined for around £11 million in the 2010 summer transfer window, Meireles would soon become an integral part of the Liverpool midfield.

An all-around midfielder, the Portuguese international made a total of 44 appearances for the Reds (three of which were in the 2011-12 season), scoring five goals and adding six assists, all the while endearing himself in the hearts and minds of the Anfield faithful

Unfortunately, it all ended in a very ugly way, with Meireles submitting a transfer request to manager Kenny Dalglish just minutes before the 2011 summer transfer window closed.

Now, the 28-year-old finds himself at Chelsea, where he has since established himself as an important midfielder. As much as one hates to admit it, it is brutally obvious that Meireles would still make a key player at Anfield today. His loss was definitely a significant one.

Honourable Mention: Danny Guthrie (Newcastle)

CM: Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid - 30

One of Liverpool's best players of the decade, Alonso signed from Real Sociedad in 2004 as part of Rafa Benitez's Spanish revolution.

It didn't take him long to settle in, and before the season was through he had won a Champions League trophy with the club, scoring the crucial equalizer in the 60th minute.

The Basque midfielder would go on to make over 200 appearances for Liverpool over five years, before leaving for Real Madrid in a £30 million deal in August 2009.

To this day, Xabi Alonso remains a vital part of the Real starting XI. While Liverpool struggled in his absence, his new club has seemed to thrive with him there.

His intelligent and unselfish playing style makes the players around him better, and he has become a favourite of manager Jose Mourinho largely due to his humbleness and work-rate.

At just 30, Alonso still has a future at the top level. If you had to ask Liverpool fans to name one player they think the club sold too early, they would without a doubt pick Xabi Alonso.

Honourable Mention: Danny Murphy (Fulham)

RM: Harry Kewell

Melbourne Victory - 33

A very versatile player, Harry Kewell's achievements at Anfield are often forgotten. His time at Anfield has typically been remembered for his struggles with injuries, when in fact he should be remembered for his three seasons as a key starter and his 138 appearances over five seasons.

Liverpool fought off competition from the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United to sign the Australian wing wizard in 2003, handing him the famous No. 7 shirt.

He quickly established himself as an important player. Injuries late in his Liverpool career led to his departure in 2008, but he is still fondly remember among the Liverpool faithful.

From Anfield, Kewell moved on to Galatasaray, where he seemed to overcome his injury troubles to become one of the most prolific midfielders in the club's history. With his 34 goals in 90 games, Liverpool regretted letting him go.

Only this past summer has he returned home, deciding to join his the Melbourne Victory instead of interested Premier League newcomers QPR.

Shame... It would have been nice to see "Austalia's finest football export" get one more chance in England's top division.

Honourable Mention: Jermaine Pennant (Stoke City)

ST: Michael Owen

Manchester United - 31

Without a doubt, Michael Owen is one of the greatest players ever to play for Liverpool. Having joined them as a schoolboy, Owen would go on to make his debut at 17 against Wimbledon. That appearance would be the first of 297, spanning over eight seasons.

In that time, Owen scored an outrageous 158 goals at a rate of 0.53 goals-per-game. His name forever etched in Anfield folklore, Owen was sold to Spanish giants Real Madrid for a bargain £8 million in the summer of 2004.

Owen would only spend one season at Real before joining Newcastle United in 2005. There, he once again established himself as a hugely prolific striker, scoring 30 goals from 79 games. Unfortunately, he now spends his days on the bench at Manchester United, backing up the likes of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez.

More than anyone on this list, it would be lovely to see Michael Owen return to Anfield one day.

Honourable Mention: Peter Crouch (Stoke)

ST: Fernando Torres

Chelsea - 27

Call him Judas. Call him traitor. Call him whatever you want. One thing you cannot do is deny that his time at Anfield was great. After joining from Atletico Madrid in 2007 for £20 million (with Luis Garcia moving the other way) Torres ripped his way onto the Premier League scene, becoming the most prolific ever foreign Premier League player in his debut season, scoring 24 goals in 33 games. Torres would go on to score 81 goals in 142 games for the Reds, before leaving in what can only be described as a betrayal to the club he had claimed to love.

Torres is a second player on this list who left to join bitter rivals Chelsea. However, since his move, Torres has managed a somewhat comical five goals in 33 games, and was not on in the Starting XI in the Chelsea defeat to Liverpool. Torres is quickly becoming known as a £50 million mistake for the Stamford Bridge club.

Honourable Mention: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)

Follow Jake Ware on Twitter at @JacobWare95.