Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager in October 2015, and his first game in charge of the Reds was a 0-0 draw away at Tottenham. Under his stewardship, the club have finished eighth once and fourth twice, reaching one Europa League and one Champions League final.
Here are the 7 Liverpool subs from Jurgen Klopp’s first game: Where are they now?
7. Adam Bogdan – Liverpool
Hungarian international Adam Bogdan was one of Brendan Rodgers’ more unusual Liverpool signings it would be fair to say. The 6’4” shot stopper arrived on a free transfer after his contract expired at Bolton Wanderers, and he had played only 10 games in the Championship the previous season. Naturally, Bogdan has never been first choice at Anfield, making just six appearances in three seasons, only two of which came in the Premier League. His contract expires this summer.
6. Kolo Toure – Celtic (Coach)
Kolo Toure during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad Stadium on May 9, 2018 in Manchester, England.
Everyone’s favourite Toure brother, older sibling Kolo had three seasons at Liverpool as a backup centre-back, during which time he made 71 appearances and started a Europa League final. Toure followed Brendan Rodgers out of Liverpool to Celtic in 2016, where he played a cameo role as the Hoops won the double, joining a rare group of players to have had invincible seasons with two different clubs. Toure hung up his boots in 2017, and now works as a first team coach at Parkhead, as well being the assistant manager of the Ivory Coast national teams under-23 side.
5. Connor Randall – Liverpool
Some 15 years and almost 500 first team matches separated Liverpool’s two defensive options on the bench against Tottenham in Jurgen Klopp’s first game in charge. Connor Randall had been named on the Liverpool bench for the first time by Brendan Rodgers a month earlier, but he made his first team debut against Bournemouth in the League Cup under Klopp. The Liverpool-born right-back, who can also playing in holding or central midfield, failed to push on at Anfield though. Now aged 22, he just spent a season on-loan at Hearts and has stated that he’d be open to making a permanent move north of the border. Given his limited chances of breaking into the Liverpool first team, it seems quite likely such a move will happen.
4. Joe Allen – Stoke City
Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool and Joe Allen of Stoke City clash during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield on April 28, 2018 in Liverpool, England.
The diminutive Welsh international was introduced as an 81st minute substitution for Adam Lallana in Klopp’s first Liverpool game, but the German boss sold him to Stoke for £13 million at the end of the season. Allen has since impressed at the Bet365 Stadium, and he recently featured in our look at the seven best players from the three relegated clubs.
3. João Teixeira – Braga
Long considered one of the brightest prospects at Anfield, Joao Teixeira was capped by Portugal at six different youth levels, labelled the ‘next Deco’, and was named as the Liverpool Academy Player of the Year in 2015. An attacking or central midfielder who can also operate out wide on the left, Teixeira has excellent close control and a real eye for a pass. Despite his obvious promise, he made only 8 first team appearances for Liverpool before joining Porto due to a lack of first team opportunities. Now aged 25, Teixeira made 20 appearances on-loan at Braga this season.
2. Jordon Ibe – Bournemouth
Phil Jones of Manchester United and Jordon Ibe of AFC Bournemouth battle for possession during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on…
Jordon Ibe was another player Liverpool had high hopes for from a young age. Ibe made his Liverpool debut in Jamie Carragher’s final game for the club, and when Raheem Sterling left for Manchester City, Ibe was expected to fill that void. He made 41 appearances for the club the following season, but it proved to be his last at Anfield. A bid of £15 million from Bournemouth was deemed satisfactory for a youngster who hadn’t quite set the world alight, although the Reds made a point of including both sell-on fee and buy-back clauses in the deal. Since joining Bournemouth, Ibe has had patchy form, but he managed 2 goals and 6 assists in 32 Premier League outings in the season just gone.
1. Jerome Sinclair – Watford
There was more than a touch of youth to Jurgen Klopp’s first bench as Liverpool manager, and his sole striking option waiting in the wings was Jerome Sinclair. Unlike Ibe, Sinclair never really got any serious game time at Anfield, making just 5 appearances in total, and scoring his only Liverpool goal against Exeter in the FA Cup. Sinclair joined Watford in 2016 after his contract had expired, with a tribunal setting his fee at £4 million. Watford are yet to see much of a return on that investment, since Sinclair has scored just once in eleven games over his first two seasons, and didn’t start a single game during the 17/18 season.
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