Football is a fast-moving sport and sometimes players who are right in the mix of the first team can disappear at the drop of a hat, and then they fall out of fans’ heads too.
Jordon Ibe was someone who was destined for greatness when he joined Liverpool as a youngster, but a string of personal problems meant that he faded away from the first-team limelight in the Premier League and dropped down the levels as years went on.
Now he has signed for Locomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria, GIVEMESPORT has taken a look back through the past to find a starting lineup of former Anfield stars who are still playing years later that fans may have forgotten about.
Goalkeeper: Danny Ward
Goalkeeper Ward spent four years at Anfield between 2014 and 2018, and while he spent a lot of time out on loan, he did make a handful of first-team appearances for the Reds too.
Ward featured twice in the Premier League during the 2015/16 campaign, starting in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth and a 3-1 defeat to Swansea, while he also featured in the League Cup during his time with Liverpool.
Now, Ward is 32-years-old and still playing in the Championship, having moved back to his boyhood club Wrexham after spending seven years at Leicester City. The number two goalkeeper with the Welsh outfit, he provides top-level experience, but it may be a surprise to many that he is still playing at such a high level, or even playing at all.
Defence: Wisdom, Lovren, Caulker, Cissokho
Liverpool’s first-choice defence was pretty set for a number of years with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Virgil Van Dijk regular starters, while Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip battled for the final slot.
But before them, Dejan Lovren was considered to be the first-choice centre-back at Anfield following a big-money move from Southampton. The Croatian struggled for the majority of his time with Liverpool, and after leaving to join Zenit St Petersburg, he then had a short spell at Lyon and is now currently plying his trade in Greece with PAOK.
Alongside him, Steven Caulker is someone who made his name away from Anfield, but did have a spell on Merseyside during his playing career. Remembered most for being put up front at one point during Jurgen Klopp’s tenure, Caulker played for Dundee, Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce, Gaziantep, Fatih Karagumruk, Wigan, Malaga City and Keciorengucu before finally ending up at Stjarnan in Iceland in 2025.
At full-back, Andre Wisdom was at one point considered to be the next big thing to come out of the Liverpool academy, but injuries wrecked his development and he eventually moved on, making his name at Derby County. After being stabbed, Wisdom didn’t play for four years, but he now plies his trade with FC United of Manchester in the Northern Premier League.
On the opposite flank, the position was often a problem one for the club before Robertson’s arrival. One player they tried to bring in to help them out was one-time France international Aly Cissokho, who spent the 2013/14 season on loan with Liverpool, and now plays professionally in Thailand for Lamphun Warriors.
Midfield: Wijnaldum, Keita
During Liverpool’s glory era under Klopp, two of the mainstays of the midfield were Gini Wijnaldum and Naby Keita, and while neither player left on bad terms, it’s unlikely that many fans are expecting them to still be playing in 2025.
However, Netherlands international Wijnaldum, who left to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, is now featuring in Saudi Arabia on a regular basis after playing alongside Jordan Henderson and under former Reds captain and legend Steven Gerrard.
Keita, who was signed to replace Gerrard and handed the iconic number eight shirt, struggled massively with injuries during his time at the club, and despite being the club’s record-signing after his arrival, was allowed to leave for free at the end of his contract in 2023 to join Werder Bremen.
The Guinean star’s injury problems have continued, but he is only 30 years old now, and is currently playing in Hungary with Ferencvaros on loan.
Attack: Markovic, Ibe, Suso, Borini
Liverpool have always been known for their exciting style of play, with quick attackers and young talent usually developing under a top coach. But while there are plenty of examples of it working out, it’s fair to say that not everyone can make it.
Ibe is one of the players who was tipped for a bright future, but he failed to make it work under a number of managers and he eventually left for Bournemouth. After a number of issues in his personal life, Ibe stepped away from the game, and after a brief stint in the lower leagues, he now plays for Lokomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria.
Another player who arrived with great expectations was Lazar Markovic, having shone at Benfica. But after signing in a deal worth in excess of £20m, the Serbian winger found the physicality of the Premier League too much to deal with and after 34 appearances in his first season he spent the next few years out on loan with Fenerbahce, Sporting CP, Hull and Anderlecht before joining Fulham permanently. Now 31, Markovic is playing in Greece with Apollon Limassol.
One of the most exciting talents to come out of Liverpool’s academy in the last decade or so was Spanish playmaker Suso, but he struggled to really make it and eventually left after 21 first-team appearances. After spells with AC Milan, Genoa and Sevilla, the 32-year-old star is now in La Liga at Cadiz.
Up front, Fabio Borini burst onto the scene as a young forward at Chelsea and eventually found his way to Liverpool, where he spent three seasons between 2012 and 2015. The Italian netted just three goals in 38 appearances, with a loan spell at Sunderland sandwiched between them, but he never really made it happen in England’s top flight. After spells at several clubs including AC Milan and Sampdoria, Borini now plays in League One for Salford after joining as a free agent in 2025.