5 former Liverpool stars you won’t believe are still playing

The Reds are one of the legendary clubs in English and European football with an illustrious history. They have won 18 first division league titles, seven FA cups, and many other domestic and European silverware.

They have lost their dominance in European football in the recent past, but the arrival of Jurgen Klopp as manager has brought them back to life. They reached the UEFA Champions League final last season and were one of the most exciting teams to watch.

Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, John Barnes, Jamie Carragher, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen, and Sami Hyypia are some of the greatest Liverpool footballers of all-time.

It is always an exciting thing as a fan of the club to know where some of your greatest footballers are currently playing. Though quite a few of Liverpool stars managed to retire at the club, some of them went on to play for clubs in relatively lesser-known leagues and are still playing.

On that note, let’s take a look at the five former Liverpool stars you won’t believe are still playing.

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#1 Djibril Cissé

Djibril Cissé played at Anfield for two full seasons between 2004 to 2006. He has represented them in 82 competitive games and scored 24 times. The former French striker has won the UEFA Champions League title with Liverpool in his debut season at Anfield.

Though he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t great either. He scored only nine goals from 33 appearances in his second season at the club and that has prompted Liverpool to send him on loan to Marseille the next season.

He permanently moved to Marseille in 2007 and stayed there for a season. He was sent on loan to Sunderland in 2008 and then made his move to Greece with Panathinaikos. He then played at a series of clubs including the likes of Lazio, Queens Park Rangers, and Al-Gharafa.

He announced his retirement in 2015 at the age of 34 but returned to football in 2017 after signing with Swiss side Yverdon. Cissé recently signed a contract with A.C. Vicenza 1902 in Italy.

#2 Stewart Downing

The former Liverpool star is one of the familiar names in English football. Stewart Downing started his top-flight career at the age of 17 when he made his Premier League debut for Middlesbrough against Ipswich Town in April 2002. He has played 181 Premier League games for Middlesbrough before moving to Aston Villa in 2009.

He then moved to Liverpool in 2011 and stayed with the Reds until 2013. He has made 91 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool and scored seven goals. He moved to West Ham United in 2013 and later joined his former club, Middlesbrough, in 2015. Middlesbrough got relegated to Championships in 2017 and Downing stayed with the club.

#3 Milan Baros

The former Czech Republican international joined Liverpool in 2002 at the age of 20. He stayed at the club for three years and has represented them in 108 competitive games. Baros scores 27 goals in his Liverpool career. He failed to establish himself at Anfield and was sold to Aston Villa in 2005. He was a part of the team that lifted the UEFA Champions League title in 2005.

Milan Baros then moved to Ligue 1 with Lyon and then to Turkey with Galatasaray. He moved to Baník Ostrava, the club he represented as a youth player, in 2013. After a series of short spells at Antalyaspor, Mladá Boleslav, and Slovan Liberty, the 36-year-old is currently back at his old club, Baník Ostrava.

#4 Joe Cole

A versatile midfield player, Joe Cole is capable of playing across several midfield positions. A creative and attacking player, Cole possesses great technical abilities. Joe Cole has played 182 Premier League games for Chelsea before he moved to Liverpool in 2010. He was the Chelsea Player of the Year during the 2007/08 season.

He was a Liverpool player for two-and-a-half years and left for West Ham United in 2013. The 36-year-old moved to Aston Villa in 2014 and then to Coventry City in 2016. He signed for the North American Soccer League with Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2016. Joe Cole has won three Premier League titles in his top-flight career.

#5 Yossi Benayoun

The Israeli international is another player on this list who played for both Liverpool and Chelsea. Benayoun joined Liverpool in 2007 after a string of impressive performances at West Ham United. He played three full seasons for Liverpool and has scored 29 goals in 134 appearances for the Reds.

He moved to Chelsea in 2010 but spent most of his time on loan at Arsenal and West Ham United. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in 2013 and then had a series of short spells at Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Beitar Jerusalem. The 38-year-old is currently playing with Maccabi Petah Tikva F.C.