Liverpool team of the decade: Jurgen Klopp and co end the decade with returning legacy

Liverpool's story this decade has mirrored that of Cinderella's. What was once a club that was always in the mix for major honours is left without an English title since 1990. Left in tatters by the George Gillett-Tom Hicks administration, Liverpool were finally sold to the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at the turn of the decade. With the new owners looking to implement the famed 'Moneyball' approach at the club, club legend Kenny Dalglish, near-miss Brendan Rodgers and, finally, Jurgen Klopp was handed the glass slipper that previously fitted the club of a calibre like Liverpool. So far, only Jurgen Klopp seems to have comfortably fitted the glass slipper at the feet of the sleeping English giants. 

Also Read | Liverpool Poised To Sign Takumi Minamino; RB Salzburg Forward Could Give Liverpool Wings

'The Normal One' he proclaimed himself as Jurgen Klopp addressed his first press conference as Liverpool manager. The charismatic German was tasked with resurrecting a sleeping giant of a club. Four years into his tenure at Anfield and the club is now purring as European champions. It has been a tough decade for Liverpool, but one that has ended in the most productive fashion, with the Liverpool securing the Champions League in 2019, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. As Liverpool get ready to turn the page on this decade, here is a look at 11 players who have carried the responsibility of awakening Liverpool from their trophy-less slumber this decade. 

Goalkeeper - Alisson 

The Brazilian custodian arrived from AS Roma for a reported £65 million in 2018. Despite spending just a year and a half with Liverpool so far, Alisson has radiated a sense of calm in the Liverpool goal. Alisson has undoubtedly been one of Liverpool's key signings this decade. His save against Napoli in the Champions League last season sparked Liverpool's 2018-19 Champions League charge, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Also Read | Takumi Minamino Joins Liverpool's January Hall Of Fame After Van Dijk, Suarez, Coutinho

Defenders - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Jamie Carragher, Andrew Robertson

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have been among the major success stories at Liverpool in the last couple of years. The two have formed arguably the best fullback duo in world football, terrorizing the opposition with their pin-point crosses and constant pressure. Jamie Carragher was Liverpool's true one-club hero with 16 years of first-team service and a total of 737 appearances during his Liverpool career. Virgil van Dijk, on the other hand, has added a certain steel to the Liverpool defence. The Dutchman marshalls the Liverpool backline with the grace of a panther and has justified the £75 million the club splashed on him in January 2018. 

Midfielders - Steven Gerrard, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson

Steven Gerrard's exploits at Liverpool warrant a separate article altogether, with the iconic Liverpool captain carrying Liverpool halfway into the decade. Gerrard forms a midfield pivot with the man who ultimately took the captain's armband - Jordan Henderson. 'From the streets of Wearside to champion of the world. Congrats Jordan!", read a tweet from Henderson's former club, Sunderland. Henderson has come a long, long way since making the move to Liverpool, with his teammates lavishing praise on the tireless midfielder for his work rate in the Liverpool midfield in recent years.

Roberto Firmino plays as a No. 10 up ahead of Gerrard and Henderson. The Brazilian has added so many facets to the Liverpool attack under Jurgen Klopp that it is difficult to see any other midfielder/striker taking up the Firmino role. The Brazilian's tricks and turns may be flashy at times, but they provide Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with bundles of space to exploit. 

Also Read | Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool: From 'Heavy Metal Football' To A Well-Oiled Machine

 

Attackers - Sadio Mane, Luis Suarez, Mohamed Salah

Two of the above three finished in the top five of the Ballon d'Or list in 2019. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah may not have signed for extraordinary sums, but Mane and Salah have added pace, skill, goals and more goals to the Liverpool attack. Both wingers possess blistering pace, with one of the two taking up the goalscoring burden anytime the other is off colour.

Luis Suarez rounds up the Liverpool team of the decade. The Uruguayan arrived at Anfield for a modest fee of £22.8 million in January 2011 but had an impact that was anything but modest. His hunger for goals and the sheer audacity of some of the goals he scored during his time at Anfield instantly propelled him into the 'world-class' category, ultimately earning him a £64.98 million move to Barcelona in the summer of 2014. 

Liverpool: The Merseyside giants end the decade with the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup

Also Read | Liverpool's Champions League Journey Could Come Full Circle In 2020