PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Fernando Morientes

Fernando Morientes : Striker (2005-2006)
Date of Birth: 5-4-1976
Birthplace: Spain
Debut : 15th January 2005. v Manchester United (H)
1st team games: 61
1st team goals: 12
International caps: 43
International goals: 27
Other clubs: Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid, Monaco, Valencia.
Honours with Liverpool: UEFA Super Cup 2006, FA Cup 2006

PROFILE

Fernando Morientes joined the Spanish revolution at Anfield in January 2005 from Real Madrid and he arrived with a great reputation as a world class striker and a deadly finisher.

Benitez had long been an admirer of Morientes and tried to sign him before the start of the 2004/05 season but Madrid wouldn't do business. Morientes spent the entire 2003/04 season on loan at Monaco and was the top scorer in the Champions League with nine goals as the French side reached the final only to lose to Jose Mourinho's Porto. Amongst the nine Champions League goals Morientes scored for Monaco, two came against ironically Real Madrid followed by another effort against Chelsea in the semi-final.
Morientes had started his career with Real Zaragoza where he scored 28 goals in 66 games. He continued this form after moving to Madrid in July 1997, averaging almost a goal every other game in the championship-winning team of 2000/01. None, however, was more celebrated than his strike in the 3-0 win against Valencia CF in the 2000 UEFA Champions League final.

Having waited patiently for his man Benitez swooped to bring Morientes to Liverpool in January 2005 and it was certainly a signing that captured the imagination of the fans. He made his Reds debut in January 2005 against Manchester United at Anfield but short of match fitness, he struggled to make an impact. It was clear that when Morientes signed for Liverpool he would need some time to settle in and get used to the physical side and pace of the Premiership.

He scored his first Liverpool goal in his fourth game for the club which was a fantastic individual striker away at Charlton Athletic. Morientes also made an impact on his Merseyside derby debut when he created a goal for Luis Garcia after his rasping drive had come back off the bar. However, Morientes also picked up an injury in the derby and being ineligible for the Champions League that was more or less his season over.

It was said that Morientes needed a good pre-season ahead of the 2005/06 season to get the best out of him and he was certainly showing signs that he could be a real success at Anfield. Unfortunately the campaign was disrupted by niggling injuries although he did show the real Morientes with two superb goals in a 2-0 Anfield win over Middlesbrough.

He played in the Super Cup win over CSKA Moscow and also in the FA Cup win over West Ham when he came on after 48 minutes in place of the injured Harry Kewell. That was to be his final appearance in a red shirt as he returned to Spain in May 2006 when he signed for Valencia.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Josemi

Josemi. : Defender 2004-05


Date of Birth: : 15-11-1979
Birthplace: Spainl
1st team games: 35
Former Club Malaga
Liverpool debut: V Grazer AK, 10th August 2004. Won 2-0.




PROFILE
Better known as Josemi, he was Rafael Benitez's first Liverpool signing and he left the club at the start of January 2006 to move back to Spain with Villarreal, as part of the deal that saw Dutchman Jan Kromkamp arrive at Anfield.

He had the full name of Jose Miguel Gonzales Rey and joined the club from Malaga during the summer of 2004, in time for the summer tour of the USA and Canada.
Josemi made his Liverpool debut in Austria when the Reds started their Champions League campaign against Grazer AK.

He started off reasonably well at right back but was to soon lose his place to Steve Finnan and he struggled for pace and adapting to the English game before a knee injury put him out of action for up to four months.

It was an injury hit first season in England for Josemi although he did win a Champions League medal as he was an unused substitute against AC Milan in Istanbul.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - John Welsh

John Welsh. : Midfield 2003-2005


Date of Birth: 10th January 1984
Birthplace: Liverpool
1st team games: 10
1st team goals: 0





PROFILE
England Under-21 international John Welsh completed a move to Hull City on the first day of 2006 in a swap deal that saw winger Paul Anderson arrive at Liverpool.
A boyhood Liverpudlian who hails from Childwall, Welsh came through the Academy having joined Liverpool at the age of 10.

Welsh made his first team debut as a second half replacement for Vladimir Smicer in a Worthington Cup fourth round tie at home to Ipswich in 2003. He then made his Premiership debut for the Reds as a substitute in the 2-1 Anfield defeat by Arsenal but made just one more appearance for the first team in 2003/04, despite previous manager Gerard Houllier insisting he would play at least 15 games.

A former captain of the Liverpool Reserve team Welsh made seven appearances in the 2004/05 season under the management of Rafael Benitez before he made the move to Hull after an initial successful loan spell.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Milan Baros

Milan Baros : Striker
Date of Birth: 28-10-1981
Birthplace: Czech Republic
Debut : v Barcelona, March 2002. Champions League. Drew 0-0.
1st team games: 108
1st team goals: 27
Other clubs: Banik Ostrava
Honours with Liverpool: Champions League 2005, Worthington Cup 2003


PROFILE
Milan Baros bid farewell to Liverpool in August 2005 when he joined Premiership side Aston Villa.

Baros made his last appearance for Liverpool as a substitute in the Premiership 1-0 win over Sunderland at Anfield on August 20th, 2005.

He played his part in Liverpool winning the Champions League and started in the final against AC Milan in Istanbul. Baros played a part in Steven Gerrard winning the penalty which gave Xabi Alonso the chance to make it 3-3.

He was a big fans' favourite at Anfield and was joint top scorer at Liverpool in his final season at the club with 13 goals.

Baros had a very memorable Euro 2004 and was top scorer at the tournament as he hit five goals for the Czech Republic who reached the semi-finals.

Baros had a 2003/04 campaign to forget after a serious leg break at Blackburn ruled him out for six months but the season ended on a high with the Euro 2004 tournament.

Gerard Houllier signed the then little known Baros for 3.5 million in the summer of 2001 but had to wait until he was granted a work permit before arriving at Anfield in December, on the same day Nicolas Anelka was signed.

After a settling in period at Anfield in the reserve team Baros made his breakthrough at Liverpool in the 2002/03 season when he scored 12 goals. He became a Kop favourite and terrorised defenders with his pace and direct running.

Milan scored on his Premiership debut against Bolton when he hit two fantastic goals and hasn't looked back from there.

Strong and skilful, with blistering pace, Baros was dubbed the 'Ostravan Maradona' in his homeland where his impressive form for Banik Ostrava earned him international recognition.

Baros made his Liverpool debut as a substitute for Emile Heskey in Liverpool's Champions League draw against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in March 2002.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Antonio Nunez

Antonio Nunez : Middfield
Date of Birth: 15-1-1979
Birthplace: Spain.
Debut : v Arsenal, 28th November 2004. Won 2-1.
1st team games: 27
1st team goals: 1
Other clubs: San Federico, CD Las Rozas, Real Madrid
Honours with Liverpool: Champions League 2005

PROFILE
Antonio Nunez left Liverpool to return to Spain with Celta Vigo at the start of August 2005 after just one season at Anfield.
Nunez became Rafael Benitez's second signing since taking over as Liverpool manager when he arrived at Anfield in August 2004 as part of the Michael Owen transfer to Real Madrid.

After a nightmare start to his Reds career through a knee injury picked up training, Nunez made his debut coming on as a subsitute in the 2-1 win over Arsenal in November 2004.

Nunez scored his only goal for Liverpool in the Carling Cup final defeat by Chelsea at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. He played a part in Liverpool's Champions League success and was an unused substitute in the Champions League final against AC Milan.

Nunez started his football career with Spanish outfit San Federico before joining nearby third division side CD La Rozas.

In 2001 he was spotted by Real Madrid - the team he idolised as a boy - and scored twice in 24 reserve games in his first season with the Spanish giants.

The following season he struck nine more goals for the reserves before finally earning a place in the first team squad for the 2003-04 campaign.

He made a dream start for Madrid as he netted an equaliser on his debut to secure a 1-1 draw with Villareal in September 2003.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Mark Smyth

Mark Smyth: Striker 2004-05

Date of Birth: 09/01/1985
Birthplace: Liverpool
1st team games: 1







PROFILE
England Under-20 international Mark Smyth was released by Liverpool at the end of the 2004/05 season.
Smyth fulfilled a childhood ambition when he made his Liverpool debut in the Carling Cup quarter-final win at Tottenham in December 2004, and made a lively impact.

A product of the Academy and a lifelong red, he idolised Ian Rush when he was growing up and is hoping to follow in his hero's footsteps by making it all the way to the Reds' first team.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Jon Otsemobor

Jon Otsemobor : Defender 2002-2005
Date of Birth: 23/03/1983
Birthplace: Liverpool
1st team games: 6
Other clubs: Hull City loan, Bolton Wanderers loan, Crewe Alexandra loan






PROFILE
Right back Jon Otsemobor has been released by Liverpool at the end of the 2004/05 season and joined League Two side Rotherham United.

Semi enjoyed a three month loan spell with Crewe Alexandra during the 2004/05 season but couldn't make a breakthrough at Liverpool under Rafael Benitez.

In the 2003/04 season Otsemobor was given a first team chance and made a big impression on the Liverpool fans when he was given a run of five games and did really well.

However in his fifth game he was substituted by Gerard Houllier after 20 minutes in the 2-2 draw at Manchester City, and was never seen again for the remainder of the season.

In a shock move Otsemobor was then loaned out by Houllier to Bolton Wanderers but after playing just 45 minutes for the first team cut short that move to return to Liverpool.

It was in the summer of 2002 that Otsemobor moved down to Melwood to train with the first team having been a regular in Hughie McAuley's under-19 side at the Academy.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Paul Harrison

Paul Harrison: Goalkeeper 2003-2005 :
Date of Birth: 18/12/1984
Birthplace: Liverpool









PROFILE
Paul Harrison was released by Liverpool following the end of the 2004/05 season and started a trial with Chester City.

Harrison was a regular for the Reserve team but never made a first team appearance for the club despite being on the bench a number of times. Harrison had a good local following at reserve level and gave a number of man of the match performances for the team.

He had a one month loan spell at Leeds United in 2005 but didn't play a game.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Richie Partridge

Richie Partridge: Midfield 1999-2005
Date of Birth: 12/09/1980
Birthplace: Dublin
Other clubs: Coventry City loan
1st team games: 3







PROFILE
Republic of Ireland Under-21 international winger Richie Partridge has been released by Liverpool at the end of the 2004/05 season.

He scored on his senior bow in a 4-0 friendly win at Bournemouth in the 1999/2000 season and then got a first team chance in the emphatic Worthington Cup 4th Round 8-0 victory at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium in November 2000. Partridge started on the right wing in the Reds record 8-0 away victory.

Since that 45 minutes at Stoke he had to wait four more years for another first team chance under Rafael Benitez. Partridge made impressive substitute appearances in the Carling Cup wins over Middlesbrough and Tottenham en route to the final.

Unfortunately he suffered many injury problems during his time at Liverpool. Partridge had a serious cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in a collision with a team-mate during a reserve match in November 2003 that kept him out of action for up to 10 months.

He also spent the entire 2002/03 season on loan at Coventry City and received many favourable reviews for his performances.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE : Gregory Vignal

Gregory Vignal : Defender (2000-2005)
Date of Birth: 19/07/1981
Birthplace: Montpellier
1st team games: 20
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: Montpellier, Rennes, Bastia, Espanyol, Rangers
International caps while with Liverpool: European Championship winner with French U-18 team
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: FA Cup 2001, UEFA Cup 2001, UEFA Super Cup 2001

PROFILE
Left back Gregory Vignal spent the entire 2004/05 season on loan at Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers and won a championship medal, before leaving Anfield in the summer of 2005 to join Premiership side Portsmouth.

Vignal was a regular in pre-season for Liverpool ahead of the 2003/04 season but was then shipped out to Rennes where he had an unhappy loan spell.

Vignal made his breakthrough at Liverpool during the treble campaign of 2000/01 when he looked an outstanding prospect, but for one reason or another things haven't gone as planned since then for Gregory. He has three winners medals from his time with the club as he was an unused substitute in the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup victories in 2001.

The beginning of the end for Vignal at Anfield came after a broken foot ruled him out for most of the 2001/2002 season, and then unable to break back into the first team, ended the 2002-2003 season on a three-month loan with French side Bastia. Vignal also spent the whole of the 2003/04 season on a season long loan at Spanish La Liga strugglers Espanyol.

Vignal made his Reds debut in the FA Cup 3rd Round win over Rotherham United at Anfield in January 2000, after arriving at the club earlier in the season from Montpellier.

He came to Anfield with good pedigree having enjoyed international success during the summer of 2000 when he helped the French under-18 team to victory in the European Youth Championships in Germany.