PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Steve Finnan

Steve Finnan
Date of Birth: 24/4/1976
Birthplace: Limerick, Ireland
Debut: August 17, 2003 v Chelsea
1st team games: 216
1st team goals: 1
Other clubs: Welling, Birmingham City, Notts County, Fulham, Espanyol
Honours with Liverpool: Champions League 2005, Super Cup 2005, FA Cup 2006, Charity Shield 2006


PROFILE
Right-back Steve Finnan was often described as an unsung hero during five years at Anfield – but you'll struggle to find a Kopite unwilling to sing his praises.

The Irishman was signed by Gerard Houllier in the summer of 2003. It was a long journey to the Premier League for Finnan, who began his career with non-league Welling United before turning professional with Birmingham City in 1995.

After only a handful of appearances he was on his way to Notts County, where a string of excellent performances attracted the attention of Fulham boss Kevin Keegan.

Finnan became a firm favourite at Craven Cottage following his £600,000 move in November 1998. Three years later he played a key role in the Londoners' promotion to the top flight.

Having made his international debut against Greece in April 2000, Mr Reliable had no problems adapting to the Premier League, and in 2001-02 he was selected in the PFA Team of the Year ahead of the likes of Gary Neville.

From there he appeared in all four of Ireland's matches during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

Houllier was suitably impressed and swooped ahead of the 2003-04 season.

Finnan made his Reds debut in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on August 17, 2003. However, a series of injuries disrupted his first year on Merseyside, and the appointment of a new manager in the summer of 2004 prompted some to cast doubt on his future at the club.

The arrival of Spanish defender Josemi did nothing to strengthen the right-back's position, but his ultra-professionalism and composed defending won the day.

The number three started the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, though injury meant he was forced to withdraw at half-time.

In May 2007 he featured in his second European Cup final, playing 88 minutes before Benitez introduced Alvaro Arbeloa. Unbeknown to Finnan, the switch was a sign of things to come.

A year later, after increasing amounts of time on the bench, the likeable defender was sold to La Liga side Espanyol.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Danny Guthrie

Danny Guthrie : Midfielder
Date of Birth: 18/04/1987
Birthplace: Shrewsbury
Debut : v Reading, October 26, 2006, League Cup, won 4-3
1st team games: 7
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: Manchester United, Southampton, Bolton, Newcastle



PROFILE
Danny Guthrie was an Academy graduate who went on to play seven first-team games under Rafa Benitez.

The Shrewsbury-born midfielder was brought to Anfield after being released by Manchester United aged 15.

His competitive debut for the Reds came as a 62nd minute substitute in a League Cup match against Reading in October 2006.

The highlight of Guthrie's brief spell in the first-team squad came with a start in the Ataturk Stadium in December 2006 when Liverpool took on Galatasaray in the Champions League group stages.

In March 2007 he signed for Southampton on emergency loan, playing 12 games for the south coast side.

Instead of returning to Melwood ahead of the 2007-08 campaign, Guthrie headed for the Reebok Stadium where he could experience regular top-flight football.

His performances during 28 appearances for Bolton impressed Kop icon Kevin Keegan so much that he splashed the cash to bring the youngster to Newcastle in July 2008.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch : Striker
Date of Birth: 30/01/1981
Birthplace: Macclesfield
Debut : v FBK Kaunas, July 20, 2005, Champions League qualifier, won 3-1
1st team games: 135
1st team goals: 42
Other clubs: Dulwich Hamlet, IFK Hassleholm, QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich, Southampton
International caps while with Liverpool: 27
International goals while with Liverpool: 14
Honours with Liverpool: FA Cup (2006), Charity Shield (2006)

PROFILE
Striker Peter Crouch became a cult hero after joining the Rafalution in the summer of 2005.

Many questioned Rafa Benitez's decision to pay Southampton approximately £7million for a player whose career had seen him jump around the Football League.

An incredible 19 games without a goal after arriving at Anfield did little to ease concerns, though in this time the Kop caught a glimpse of something that made Crouch stand out - and it wasn't just his 6ft 7 frame.

Despite being one of the tallest players ever to pull on a red jersey, the likeable frontman possessed an assured touch and a work ethic second only perhaps to teammate Dirk Kuyt.

It didn't take long for the faithful to devise the humorous "He's big, he's red, his feet stick out the bed" chant.

After breaking his duck with a brace against Wigan (the first of which had to go to the dubious goals panel after a freak deflection), the goals started to flow.

One of the most memorable was a winner in a fifth round FA Cup tie against Manchester United in January 2006. The Reds went on to win the competition in Cardiff, with Crouch getting the assist for Liverpool's second against West Ham.

Meanwhile, the Anfield number 15 was establishing himself as an England regular and was named in the 23-man squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

He scored in a warm-up game against Hungary and celebrated with his much-publicised robot dance. Four days later he bagged a hat-trick against Jamaica despite fluffing a penalty.

With Wayne Rooney injured, the Liverpool man partnered Michael Owen in the World Cup opener against Paraguay. He kept his place for the follow up versus Trinidad and Tobago, during which he hit his first competitive international goal. Crouch made two further substitute appearances in the competition.

The start of the 2006-07 season saw him head the winner in the Community Shield triumph over Chelsea, while under new coach Steve McClaren he became the first England player to score 10 in a calendar year thanks to braces against Greece and Andorra.

In September 2006 Crouch scored perhaps his best ever goal, a stunning scissor kick at home to Galatasaray in the Champions League. It was a trick he would repeat just a few months later against Bolton Wanderers.

A broken nose sustained versus Sheffield United interrupted his second season on Merseyside, though he did go on to net his first club hat-trick against Arsenal in March 2007; one with his left foot, one with his right and another with his head.

Crouch was named as a substitute in the 2007 Champions League final in Athens, coming on for Javier Mascherano with 12 minutes to go. Sadly, his introduction wasn't enough to spark another incredible comeback.

There was further heartache the following November when he was part of the England side that failed to reach Euro 2008. The striker looked to have spared a nation's blushes when he equalised against Croatia at Wembley. All Steve McClaren's side needed to do was hold on - but they couldn't.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Fernando Torres at Anfield meant first-team starts were becoming more difficult to come by.

Despite being offered a new contract in the spring of 2008, Crouch decided the time was right to move on. It was Portsmouth who eventually won the race for his signature in July 2008.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Anthony Le Tallec

Anthony Le Tallec
Date of Birth: 3/10/1984
Birthplace: Hennebont, France
Debut : v Blackburn, September 13, 2003, Premier League, won 3-1
1st team games: 32
1st team goals: 1
Other clubs: Le Havre, St Etienne, Sunderland, Sochaux, Le Mans



PROFILE
Anthony Le Tallec was one of two 'French gems' brought to the club by Gerard Houllier but, like counterpart Florent Sinama Pongolle, his Anfield career never really took off.

Great things were expected of Le Tallec, for whom the word 'starlet' seemed to have been invented.

Such was his potential that he was snapped up by Le Havre aged just eight. The youngster came to the world's attention in May 2001 when he scored five goals in helping France reach the European Under-16 Championships final.

Three months later, aged 16, he made his club debut versus Grenoble. An incredible year was capped in September when France won the Under-17s' World Cup in England. Le Tallec was voted the tournament's second best player (behind Pongolle).

Houllier quickly pounced, signing the prodigious pair but allowing them to spend another two years in France to aid their development.

A wave of excitement flooded Anfield when they were finally unveiled in 2003 - though Le Tallec went on to amass just 32 appearances in a five-year Liverpool career.

The highlight undoubtedly came when he was selected against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-final in 2005 - and put in a great show.

Loan spells at St Etienne, Sunderland, Sochaux and Le Mans followed, the latter being made permanent in July 2008.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell
Date of Birth: 22/09/1978
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Debut : v Chelsea, August 17, 2003, Premier League, lost 2-1
1st team games: 138
1st team goals: 16
Other clubs: Leeds United
International caps: 20
International goals: 8
Honours with Liverpool: Champions League (2005), FA Cup (2006)

PROFILE
Harry Kewell was a player who threatened to deliver so much in a red shirt - but ultimately his stay at Liverpool will be filed under 'frustrating'.

A succession of long-term injuries prevented him reproducing the form witnessed at former club Leeds, where the Aussie winger had established himself as one of the Premiership's top talents.

Kewell's time in Yorkshire saw him voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 2000 before his love affair with the club came to an end in 2003.

Having turned down a move to Manchester United, the would-be Australia captain made his Reds debut in front of the Kop against Chelsea on August 17, 2003.

Kewell went on to score 11 goals in 49 games in his first season at Anfield - easily his best tally.

The following campaign saw him bag a single goal in 31 appearances. He was a shock starter in the Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul, though injury meant he was replaced by Vladimir Smicer after just 23 minutes.

A year later, after scoring three goals in 41 appearances during the 2005-06 season, fate again contrived against the playmaker as injury forced him to be substituted half way through the FA Cup final victory over West Ham.

Despite this, Kewell was fit in time for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was the first time Australia had qualified for the competition since 1974, and the Liverpool man was there in the opening game against Japan.

After a substitute appearance versus Brazil, Kewell scored a crucial equalising goal against Croatia which took his side into the second round. Unfortunately, another spell in the treatment room meant he played no part in the defeat to eventual winners Italy - nor indeed most of the following season back in England.

The winger returned to action in the penultimate league game of 2006-07 at Craven Cottage and went on to feature as a second-half substitute in the Champions League final against AC Milan.

Kewell now had a year to save his stuttering Reds career - he couldn't. More injuries prevented him playing any meaningful role in 2007-08 and his contract was not renewed.

He left Melwood for the final time in May 2008 wondering 'what might have been'.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - John Arne Riise

John Arne Riise : Defender
Date of Birth: 24-09-1980
Birthplace: Molde, Norway
Debut : Aug 12 2001, Charity Shield v Man Utd
1st team games: 347
1st team goals: 31
Other clubs: Aalesund, Monaco
International caps: 71
International goals: 8
Honours with Liverpool: FA Charity Shield 2001, UEFA Super Cup 2001, Worthington Cup 2003, Champions League 2005, FA Cup 2006, FA Community Shield 2006.

PROFILE
Left-back John Arne Riise notched up well over 300 appearances during a seven-year association with the club through the Houllier and Benitez eras.

The Norwegian, who was famed for a fierce shot, joined Liverpool for approximately £4million in June 2001 having previously played for Aalesunds FK and Monaco.

His debut came in the Charity Shield against Manchester United on August 12, and it was in a fixture against the same opponents three months later that the flame-haired defender won a place in the heart of every Liverpool fan. From then until the end of his Anfield career, the Kop sang: "John Arne Riise, ooh, ah, I want to know how you scored that goal."

The full-back, who could also play left-midfield, remained a first-team regular as the Rafalution began in 2004.

It was he who opened the scoring against Chelsea in the 2005 Carling Cup final with a volley on 45 seconds - the fastest goal in the fixture's history.

During the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, Riise provided the cross for Steven Gerrard to head home on 54 minutes - and in doing so helped trigger the greatest comeback European football has ever witnessed. The fact his penalty was saved by Dida in the shoot-out is now a historical insignificance.

The following season was again full of highlights, most notably another opening goal against Chelsea - this time in an FA Cup semi-final.

Three weeks later he erased memories of the Istanbul penalty miss by converting his spot kick to help the Reds clinch their seventh FA Cup.

Riise continued his knack of scoring against Jose Mourinho's men at the start of the 2006-07 campaign, this time in the Community Shield. The full-back ran from inside his own half before lashing the ball beyond Carlo Cudicini to open the scores. Liverpool went on to win the match 2-1.

Ironically, the Scandinavian's last notable act in a red shirt again saw him net against Chelsea -- though this time it was at the wrong end to give the Blues a priceless away goal in the first leg of the 2007-08 Champions League semi-finals.

Riise was sold to Italian side AS Roma in June 2008.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Momo Sissoko

Momo Sissoko : Midfielder
Date of Birth: 22/01/1985
Birthplace: Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Debut : July 26, 2005 v FBK Kaunas (A) Champions League qualifier: Won 3-1
1st team games: 86
1st team goals: 1
Other clubs: Auxerre, Valencia, Juventus
International caps while with Liverpool: 13
International goals while with Liverpool: 1
Honours with Liverpool: European Super Cup 2005-06, FA Cup 2005-06, Charity Shield 2006-07

PROFILE
Energetic midfielder Mohamed 'Momo' Sissoko spent nearly three years at Anfield after joining from Valencia in the summer of 2005.

The Malian had played under Rafa Benitez in Spain so it was no surprise when he chose Liverpool over the likes of Everton.

Benitez dared compare his new signing with Arsenal star Patrick Vieira - and the fans certainly weren't disappointed in his first two seasons.

Sissoko added steel previously lacking from the Liverpool midfield, though his first season on Merseyside was interrupted by a career-threatening eye injury sustained in a challenge with Benfica's Beto.

After just a month on the sidelines the African made a shock return against Birmingham. On doctors orders he donned protective goggles - though they didn't make it to half-time.

Two months later Sissoko put in a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup final against West Ham. The accolade would have been his but for the last-minute heroics of captain Steven Gerrard. Never mind; following a summer's break he was back at Cardiff for the Community Shield, and this time he did walk away with all the plaudits.

After an impressive start to the 2006-07 season, the Liverpool number 22 was back on the stretcher when he dislocated his shoulder against Birmingham. The injury ruled him out for three months.

Come February the African was back and putting in another stunning display, this time in the Nou Camp as the Reds beat Barcelona 2-1. The return leg saw him nearly break his goalscoring duck for the club - but he was denied by the crossbar.

Supporters would have to wait until the start of the 2007-08 season to see Sissoko get off the mark - and it proved to be a landmark goal for Liverpool. His 25-yard drive against Roy Keane's Sunderland at the Stadium of Light was the club's 7,000th league goal.

Despite this, the practicing Muslim was struggling to recapture the form he showed prior to his injuries and was sold to Juventus in January 2008 for a fee believed to be more than £8million.