PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Bolo Zenden

Date of Birth: 15/08/1976
Birthplace: Maastricht
Debut : v TNS. July 13th 2005, Champions League qualifier. Won 3-0
1st team games: 47
1st team goals: 2
Other clubs: PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough.
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: UEFA Super Cup 2005, FA Community Shield 2006.

PROFILE

Versatile Dutch international Boudewijn Zenden was captured on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in July 2005 and played his part in helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final in 2007.

Zenden, who was commonly known as Bolo, became the third Dutchman to play for Liverpool following in the footsteps of Sander Westerveld and Erik Meijer. He had an injury hit spell at Anfield but he was a useful outlet for Rafael Benitez because he could play central midfield, left midfield and even played at left back on a few occasions.

The Dutchman's best moment was the 2007 Champions League semi-final at Anfield. He was a surprise choice to start the game but he did a good job on the left side of midfield and scored a penalty in the shoot-out that Liverpool went on to win.

He also played in the Champions League final against AC Milan and in the 2005 Super Cup final he showed his versatility by playing in three positions during the win over CSKA Moscow in Monaco.

Bolo began his career at PSV Eindhoven and collected a Dutch Championship winner's medal in 1996, before he moved to Spanish giants Barcelona. Benitez first came across Zenden when he played for Barcelona and helped the Catalan club win the Spanish title in his first season at the Nou Camp.

He then moved to the Premiership in 2001 when he joined Chelsea for a fee of 7.5 million, before spending the whole of the 2003/04 season on loan with Middlesbrough, scoring the winner against Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup final as the club won their first ever major trophy.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Djibril Cisse

Date of Birth: 12/08/1981
Birthplace: Arles, France
Debut : v Grazer AK. 10th August 2004, Champions League qualifier. Won 2-0
1st team games: 79
1st team goals: 24
Other clubs: Auxerre, Marseille
International caps while with Liverpool: 32
International goals while with Liverpool: 9
Honours with Liverpool: UEFA Champions League (2005), UEFA Super Cup (2005), FA Cup (2006)

PROFILE

Flamboyant striker Djibril Cisse became a club record signing when Liverpool paid £14 million for his services in July 2004 and he went on to score in three major cup finals for the club.

Regarded as one of the top strikers in Europe, he was signed by Gerard Houllier, even though the Frenchman had left before the player arrived at Anfield.

The speedy striker had awful luck on signing for the Reds when he broke his leg during a match at Blackburn on October 30th 2004. He then made an amazing recovery and was back in the nick of time to score a vital penalty in the Champions League shoot-out win over AC Milan.

The following season he came off the bench to help Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup when he scored twice and set up another goal for Luis Garcia in the 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow.

His last game for Liverpool ended in glory too when he achieved a dream of scoring in three cup finals in a red shirt. He scored a fantastic goal as Liverpool beat West Ham in Cardiff to win the FA Cup.

Unfortunately for the player he was then ruled out of the 2006 World Cup Finals when he broke his ankle for a second time in the space of two years.

The striker then recovered and spent the 2006/2007 season on loan at Marseille. The move was then made permanent in the summer of 2007.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - David Raven

David Raven Defender
Date of Birth: 10-03-1985
Birthplace: Liverpool
Debut : V Tottenham Hotspur. December 1st 2004, Carling Cup quarter-final
1st team games: 4
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: -
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

Right back David Raven came through the Academy and was given his first team chance by Rafael Benitez during the run to the Carling Cup final in 2005.

Raven made his first team debut during the Carling Cup tie at Tottenham in December 2004 and made one memorable goal saving tackle in particular to deny Jermaine Defoe a certain goal. Liverpool won the game on penalties and Raven was named Man of the Match

A big Liverpool fan who swopped a potential career as a musician to ply his trade in football, Raven was captain of the England youth team.

In search of regular first team football he left Anfield to join Carlisle United in the summer of 2006.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Darren Potter

Darren Potter : Midfield
Date of Birth: 21-12-1984
Birthplace: Liverpool
Debut : v Grazer AK, August 10th 2004. Champions League qualifier. Won 2-0
1st team games: 17
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: -
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Darren Potter came through from the Academy and made his first team breakthrough in the 2004/2005 season under Rafael Benitez.

The midfielder, who was released by Everton as a youngster, made his debut in the Champions League qualifier with Graz in August 2004 when he came on as a substitute for Steve Finnan. Potter then made his full debut in the second leg 1-0 defeat.

He saw regular action in the Carling Cup run in 2004 and produced some impressive performances against the likes of Tottenham, Middlesbrough and Millwall as the Reds reached the final before they lost 3-2 to Chelsea.

He enjoyed a loan spell with Southampton during the 2005/2006 season before moving to Wolves.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Gabriel Paletta

Gabriel Paletta : Defender
Date of Birth: 15/02/1986
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Debut : v Reading, October 25, 2006 at Anfield. Won 4-3
1st team games: 8
1st team goals: 1
Other clubs: Banfield, Boca Juniors
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

Defender Gabriel Paletta became the second Argentinian to sign for Liverpool after Mauricio Pellegrino in the summer of 2006.

The centre-back was a product of the Banfield youth system, breaking into the first team in 2005. He helped his country win the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships, playing in all seven games alongside the likes of Lionel Messi.

From there, most presumed Paletta would join Argentine giants River Plate. Indeed, the club had already reserved the number six shirt for him before Liverpool swooped.

His no-nonsense approach to the game led to comparisons with club legend Jamie Carragher during the early days of his Anfield career. Unfortunately, such talk proved premature.

Paletta played just eight games during his single season on Merseyside after making his debut in the League Cup against Reading.

Still, he did join an exclusive group of players who scored on their Reds debut (Stan Collymore, Nigel Clough – meet Gabriel Paletta).

The defender left Liverpool for Boca Juniors in August 2007.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Paul Jones

Paul Jones : Goalkeeper
Date of Birth: 18-04-1967
Birthplace: Chirk
Debut : v Aston Villa. 10th January 2004. Premiership. Won 1-0
1st team games: 2
1st team goals: -
Other clubs: Kidderminster Harriers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stockport County, Southampton, Watford, Millwall, QPR.
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

Welsh international goalkeeper Paul Jones played two games for Liverpool during a short loan spell as cover for the injured Jerzy Dudek in 2004.

A former farmer who grew up supporting Liverpool, Jones, who was out of favour at Southampton, fulfilled an ambition to play for his boyhood favourites when Gerard Houllier came calling.

Dudek and Chris Kirkland were both injured and Houllier felt third choice keeper Patrice Luzi wasn't experienced enough, so Jones got his unexpected chance.

He kept a clean sheet on his Liverpool debut as the Reds beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Anfield but in his second and final appearance Houllier's side lost 2-1 away at Tottenham.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Chris Kirkland

Chris Kirkland : Goalkeeper
Date of Birth: 02/05/1981
Birthplace: Leicester
Debut : v Grimsby Town. October 9th 2001. Worthington Cup 3rd round, lost 2-1
1st team games: 45
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: -
International caps while with Liverpool: -
International goals while with Liverpool: -
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

To say Chris Kirkland's time at Anfield is a tale of what could have been would be an understatement.

He was signed by Gerard Houllier from Coventry City on the last day of August 2001, and was recognised by many football pundits as one of the best young goalkeeper's to emerge in England for a while, but he suffered terrible misfortune with injury.

A troublesome back injury denied him a chance to become the regular number one at Anfield and he also suffered other injury problems.

Kirkland was part of a double goalkeeper deal that also saw Houllier bring Jerzy Dudek to the club. His big chance at Anfield arrived in the 2002/03 season when was given a chance when Dudek's form dipped. In a bad spell for the team Kirkland was the shining light at the end of the tunnel and produced some high standard displays. Unfortunately bad luck was just around the corner and a bad ankle injury sustained in an FA Cup tie at Crystal Palace in January 2003 saw him ruled out for the season.

He then returned briefly only to find himself on the sidelines again after breaking both his finger wrist respectively in a freak training ground collision.

Despite the bad misfortune he did play in a game that will live forever long in the memory banks at Anfield. Kirkland was part of the team that produced a fantastic comeback in the Champions League when the Reds beat Olympiacos 3-1 at Anfield in December 2004.

He left Liverpool in 2006 for Wigan Athletic and went on to win his first England cap.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Mark Gonzalez

Mark Gonzalez
Date of Birth: 10/07/1982
Birthplace: Durban, South Africa
Debut: 9th August 2006 v Maccabi Haifa (h) Champions
League qualifier: Won 2-1
1st team games: 36
1st team goals: 3
Other clubs: Universidad Catolica Santiago, Albacete. Real Sociedad.
Honours with Liverpool: Community Shield 2006

PROFILE

Winger Mark Gonzalez made an instant impression on his Liverpool debut when he came off the bench to score the winning goal in the Champions League qualifier against Maccabi Haifa in August 2006.

The goal turned out to be a vital one in the end because it was the winning strike in a 2-1 success at Anfield, and a 3-2 aggregate victory for Rafael Benitez's side overall on the road to Athens.

The Chile international's arrival at Liverpool was actually delayed by one year. Rafael Benitez wanted to sign him for the start of the 2005/2006 season but his work permit was initially denied. The player then spent the campaign on loan at Real Sociedad before getting the green light to move to Anfield in the summer of 2006.

A left winger with pace to burn, Gonzalez had an injury hit solitary season at Anfield and at times found it hard to adapt to the physical side of the English game. He did score on his first Premiership start for the Reds against Tottenham at the Kop end, and then went on to be an unused substitute for the Champions League final in Athens.

Gonzalez returned to Spain and signed for Real Betis in July 2007.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy
Date of Birth: 13/07/1979
Birthplace: Cardiff
Debut: 9th August 2006 v Maccabi Haifa (H): Champions League qualifier. Won 2-1
1st team games: 42
1st team goals: 9
International caps while with Liverpool: 11
International goals while with Liverpool: 4
Other clubs: Norwich City, Coventry City, Newcastle United, Celtic loan, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United.
Honours with Liverpool: Community Shield 2006.

PROFILE

Boyhood Liverpool fan Craig Bellamy fulfilled a dream when he left Blackburn Rovers to join the Rafalution at Anfield in July 2006, and followed in the footsteps of the likes of Ian Rush, John Toshack and Dean Saunders as a Welsh international striker at Anfield.

Although his career at Anfield only lasted one season, Bellamy's best Anfield memory was his performance at the Nou Camp when Liverpool beat Barcelona 2-1 in the last 16 of the Champions League. The Welsh international scored the equaliser and then set up John Riise for the winning goal.

A player blessed with great pace, Bellamy scored on his Liverpool debut against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League qualifier but he never quite hit the heights consistently in a red shirt.

The previous season Bellamy had been in terrific form for Blackburn Rovers and scored 17 goals which prompted Benitez to swoop for his signature.

After springing to prominence at Norwich City then Coventry City it was under Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle that Bellamy flourished into one of the most feared strikers in the Premiership. He was a big hit with the Toon Army, but however, he had a much publicised bust-up with former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness during the Scot's traumatic spell in the hot seat at St James' Park. He scored 43 goals in 128 appearances for Newcastle.

After a loan spell with Celtic he had the chance to join Everton just before the start of the 2005/06 season, but decided against a move following a meeting with Toffees boss David Moyes. He then teamed up with his former international manager Mark Hughes at Blackburn Rovers and proved a big success at Ewood Park before his dream move to Anfield came about.

He signed for West Ham in July 2007.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Luis Javier Garcia Sanz

Luis Javier Garcia Sanz
Date of Birth: 24/6/1978
Birthplace: Badalona, Spain
Debut : 29th August 2004 v Botlon Wanderers (a) Premiership: lost 0-1
1st team games: 121
1st team goals: 30
Other clubs: Real Vallodilid, CD Toledo (loan), CD Tenerife (loan), Atletico Madrid, Barcelona
International caps while with Liverpool: 18
International goals while with Liverpool: 4
Honours with Liverpool: Champions League(2005), Super Cup (2005), Community Shield (2006)

PROFILE

He didn't drink sangria, but Luis Garcia came from Barca and most definitely brought us plenty of joy in his short but successful career at Liverpool.

Without doubt he proved himself as the little man for the big occasion and, in turn, won the hearts of almost every Liverpudlian.

His critics argued he was lightweight, drifts in and out of games and didn't contribute enough on a consistent basis but try balancing that against the fact that in just three years at the club the diminutive Spaniard netted some of the most memorable and important goals in Liverpool history and there's no argument.

Rafael Benitez knew what he was getting when he swooped to sign him from Barcelona at the start of his first full season at the Anfield helm. Having worked with him at Tenerife, Benitez was confident he'd added a creative spark to the team and that was certainly the case.

The number ten shirt at Liverpool has long been associated with exciting, skilful players and Garcia fulfilled this reputation. A tricky attacker who could beat defenders and set up goals as well as score them, Garcia was capable of filling a variety of forward positions – left side, right side or through the middle in the 'hole' just behind the strikers.

Despite his small frame he was more than adept in the air but it was with the ball at his feet that he was at his mesmerising best. His goalscoring instincts were evident on his first game for the club, when in a 1-0 defeat at Bolton he had what looked a perfectly good goal disallowed but he soon made up for that disappointment.

During Liverpool's glorious march to Champions League glory in 2004/05 Garcia registered an impressive five goals, including two that Kopites will never tire of replaying over and over again, albeit for different reasons – a spectacular dipping 30-yarder that set up victory over Juventus in the quarter-final and the less spectacular but more crucial scrappy effort that ultimately defeated Chelsea in the semi-final.

Throw in a decisive strike in the Merseyside derby and it's easy to see why Garcia became such a firm favourite of the fans. After such a successful first season at the club, his second was always going to be difficult but while, on the whole, he was probably slightly less effective, his remarkable knack of netting in big games continued and the now famous 'Luis Garcia' song, to the tune of 'You Are My Sunshine' regularly rang around Anfield.

Another derby goal raised the roof of the Kop once again, while Chelsea were made to suffer at the hands of little Luis for a second time in a major semi-final, this time in the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

Although suspension ruled him out of contention for a place in the FA Cup Final victory over West Ham, you got the impression that with Garcia in the team anything was possible. His trademark thumb-sucking goal celebration was mimicked by kids all over Merseyside and he was well on his way to achieving cult-status among those who sat on the Kop.

Unfortunately, he then suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in a Carling Cup-tie at home to Arsenal and the sight of him being stretchered off the Anfield pitch was to be the last we'd see of him in a red shirt. During the summer of 2007 he surprisingly returned to Spain to rejoin Atletico Madrid.

He may only be five foot seven but thanks to Luis Garcia Liverpool fans were taken to football heaven and back more than once. And for that, he'll forever be fondly remembered at Anfield.