Today, we celebrate ten years since that famous night in Istanbul, when we lifted the European cup for the fifth time in our history. Our incredible comeback against AC Milan has gone down as one of the greatest finals ever, but it’s worth remembering than 27 players starred during our 15 game run to glory.
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In the list below, we remember each and every one of them and tell you just what happened to them after they left Liverpool. So if you’ve ever wondered about Florent Sinama-Pongolle or Anthony Le Tallec, you can find out now!
Jerzy Dudek Games: 10 Goals: 0
Dudek was one of the biggest heroes in Istanbul. His double-save from Andriy Shevchenko at the end of extra-time and his subsequent stops in the penalty shoot-out will always be remembered. He only played another 12 games for Liverpool, following the arrival of Pepe Reina, and joined Real Madrid in 2007. He retired in 2011.
Stephane Henchoz Games: 1 Goals: 0
Rafael Benitez didn’t take to the Swiss defender. Carragher took his spot at centre-back, having previously played on the right, and Henchoz joined Celtic in January 2005. He moved back to England with Wigan Athletic later that year before finishing his career at Blackburn Rovers. He is currently looking into football coaching.
Steve Finnan Games: 14 Goals: 0
The full-back only played the first 45 minutes in Istanbul before limping off with an injury. The former Republic of Ireland international remained with Liverpool until 2008, before finishing his career with Espanyol and Portsmouth. His final game was the 2010 FA Cup final. He has left football all together since his retirement.
Sami Hyypia Games: 15 Goals: 1
Who could forget his incredible goal against Juventus in the quarter-final. The big Finn played every game of our successful run to the final and continued his Liverpool career until 2009. He finished his playing days with Bayer Leverkusen before going into management, first with Leverkusen and then with Brighton late last year.
Milan Baros Games: 14 Goals: 2
Baros was a comparative youngster during his time at Liverpool and is still only 33-years-old. He’s still playing, currently with Banik, a team from his native Czech Republic. After leaving the Reds he played for Aston Villa, Lyon, Portsmouth and Galatasaray, where he scored 48 goals in just 93 league matches.
John Arne Riise Games: 15 Goals: 1
The Norwegian, 34, is also still going. He’s currently with APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus. Last week, he scored the fourth goal in his team’s cup final victory, while they remain on course to win the league as well. After leaving Liverpool in 2008 he also played for Roma and Fulham, with whom he suffered relegation last season.
Harry Kewell Games: 12 Goals: 0
Was forced off early in the Champions League final. The Australian infamously suffered a string of injuries that prevented his career from flourishing at Anfield and he moved to Turkey in 2008. He finished his career back in Australia, eventually retiring last summer at the age of 35.
Steven Gerrard Games: 10 Goals: 4
The main man, who scored the crucial goal against Olympiacos in the group stage as well as our opener in the final. He played his final game for Liverpool yesterday, meaning that there are now no remaining members of the 2005-06 side left in our squad. He’ll be remembered as a legend for many reasons but this was is best moment.
Djibril Cisse Games: 9 Goals: 1
He didn’t have the most prolific of spells at Liverpool but he’ll always be remembered for being one of three players to score their penalties in the shoot-out. He’s become something of a journeyman since leaving us, playing for clubs all around the world, and he’s now back playing in his native France with Bastia.
Luis Garcia Games: 12 Goals: 5
The key man in this run, scoring five goals, including the winner in the quarter-final against Juventus and the semi-final against Chelsea. He left Liverpool for former club Atletico Madrid in 2007, before playing in Greece, Mexico and India. He retired after his cameo with Atletico Kolkata, for whom he played 13 games.
Vladimir Smicer Games: 6 Goals: 1
Smicer’s last kick of the ball for Liverpool was the penalty in Istanbul. Having also scored in the final itself, it could not have been a more perfect ending for him. He moved to France that summer, joining Bordeaux, before finishing his career back in Prague. He’s since taken on a coaching role within the Czech national team set-up.
Anthony Le Tallec Games: 3 Goals: 0
The French forward only made 17 Premier League appearances for us, despite remaining a Liverpool player until 2008. He endured five different loan spells before sealing a permanent switch to Le Mans. He’s remained in France ever since, playing for Auxerre and Valenciennes, for whom he’s scored 20 times in 70 games.
Xabi Alonso Games: 8 Goals: 1
The Spaniard famously scored the equalising goal in Istanbul, pouncing on Dida’s penalty save to lift the ball into the roof of the net. He joined Real Madrid in 2009 and won the Champions League again last season. He moved to Bayern Munich that same summer and now has a Bundesliga medal to add to his growing collection.
Salif Diao Games: 3 Goals: 0
The 2002 World Cup star spent five years as a Liverpool player but only played 37 times in the league. He spent the second-half of this season on loan at Birmingham City, ensuring he’d play no part in the latter stages of the Champions League. He joined Stoke City in 2007, remaining there until his retirement in 2012.
Dietmar Hamann Games: 10 Goals: 1
The German also netted from the spot, scoring the opener in the penalty shoot-out. His Liverpool career came to an end twelve months later, after he’d also won the FA Cup with us. He joined Manchester City before finishing his career with MK Dons. His brief foray into management saw him join Stockport, but he was sacked soon after.
Josemi Games: 7 Goals: 0
The full-back only played a handful of games during his two years at Liverpool. He joined Villarreal in 2006 and from there moved regularly around a host of lesser Spanish sides. He joined Garcia in Kolkata last year, playing 17 times for them.
Antonio Nunez Games: 5 Goals: 0
Nunez was famously part of the deal that sent Michael Owen to Real Madrid. Nunez rarely got a look in at Anfield and he joined Celta Vigo in 2005. He’s enjoyed a decent career over the last decade and is now playing in the Spanish second division with Recreativo Huelva.
Scott Carson Games: 1 Goals: 0
Carson left Liverpool on a permanent basis in 2008, joining West Bromwich Albion. He played over 100 league games for the Baggies before spending two years in Turkey. He joined Wigan Athletic in 2013 but wasn’t able to prevent them falling out of the Championship this season.
Djimi Traore Games: 10 Goals: 0
One of the cult figures in this Liverpool team. He continued his career in England after leaving the Reds, playing for Charlton, Portsmouth and Birmingham before moving to France and Monaco in 2011. That was followed by a two-year spell in the States with Seattle Sounders and he’s now without a team at the age of 35.
Chris Kirkland Games: 4 Goals: 0
Injuries prevented Kirkland from becoming as good as he might have done. He played over 100 times for Wigan between 2006 and 2012, for whom he signed from Liverpool after a successful loan spell. He joined Sheffield Wednesday after leaving the Latics and has now become a successful Championship goalkeeper.
Jamie Carragher Games: 15 Goals: 0
As with Gerrard, there won’t be a Liverpool fan on the planet that needs reminding about Jamie Carragher. The legendary defender remains a firm favourite at Anfield, with many of those same supporters now regularly enjoying his punditry career. He’s a regular on Sky Sports, while he also writes a column for the Daily Mail.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle Games: 4 Goals: 1
Still only 30, the one-time French international is currently playing for Lausanne-Sport, who are currently playing in the Swiss second division. Sinama-Pongolle only managed 38 league games for the Reds, scoring four times, but who could forget his tap in against Olympiacos which started the ball rolling on our road to success.
Igor Biscan Games: 9 Goals: 0
The Croatian spent five years at Liverpool but was an unused substitute in Istanbul. He left the club later that year, joining Panathinaikos, before finishing his career with his boyhood club, Dinamo Zagreb. He played 118 times for us in all competitions, scoring three times.
Stephen Warnock Games: 6 Goals: 0
A product of the Liverpool youth academy who was never quite good enough to make the cut. He left us permanently in 2007, joining Blackburn Rovers, where he played until a move to Aston Villa two years later. He’s been playing in the Championship for the last couple of years, with first Leeds and most recently Derby County.
John Welsh Games: 1 Goals: 0
If we’d ask you to name the 27 players on this list without looking, we reckon this guy would be the one you were still scratching your head trying to remember. He only played four league games for us, leaving in 2006 to join Hull City. The midfielder spent last season playing in League One with Preston North End.
Neil Mellor Games: 2 Goals: 1
Mellor spent most of his career at Preston, having joined them from Liverpool in 2006. He scored 38 goals in 130 games for North End before his career was ended by injury at the age of just 29. He scored the second goal against Olympiacos on that famous night at Anfield.
Darren Potter Games: 3 Goals: 0
Potter has been with MK Dons since 2011 and this year earned automatic promotion to the Championship. While he was never able to follow in the footsteps of Steven Gerrard, he’s still had a decent career in the lower leagues, also playing for Southampton, Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday. He even won a handful of caps for Ireland.
