Liverpool's last Europa League XI – where are they now?

As Liverpool’s Europa League opener against LASK fast approaches, it’s easy to forget that this will mark the Reds’ first appearance in the competition since 2016.

It certainly wasn’t a game to remember fondly, however.

A 3-1 loss against Sevilla in the final was Jurgen Klopp’s first major final loss for Liverpool, before going on to win pretty much everything else. Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring in the first half before three Sevilla goals in the second half deflated the Reds.

Everyone at Liverpool would prefer to see Anfield underneath Champions League lights this season, but it does give Klopp a chance to win the one trophy that has escaped him during his long reign.

Here is a look at the Liverpool starting XI against Sevilla, and where they are now.

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Simon Mignolet (Goalkeeper)

The tall Belgian, standing at six foot four inches, spent six years at Liverpool before his departure in 2019 to Club Brugge.

In that spell, the 35-year-old made 155 league appearances for the Reds and, while never the quality of Alisson, is remembered fondly for a number of world class saves, including an 89^th minute penalty stop on his debut in a 1-0 win over Stoke in 2013.

Shortly after the Europa League final, Klopp brought in Loris Karius who took over the mantle as first-choice keeper until Alisson's arrival.

Mignolet departed Anfield in 2019 as a Champions League winner and remains at Club Brugge to this day, having made 146 league appearances for the Belgium side, and continued to represent his country at international level up until 2022.

Nathaniel Clyne (Defender)

Before the days of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Clyne was Liverpool’s first choice right-back after leaving Southampton in 2015 for a fee of £12.5m.

Coming through the Crytal Palace academy, the now 32-year-old played four full seasons with the south London side, who resided in the Championship at the time, before heading to the Saints

Clyne racked up 104 appearances for Southampton before Brendan Rodgers signed the English defender in 2015. After slotting in Liverpool’s defence quickly, Clyne soon began to experience a torrid time with injuries.

In 2017, a back injury ruled Clyne out for over half the season before an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2019 all but ended his Liverpool career with his release in 2020.

During his five-year spell in Merseyside, Clyne made 103 appearances for the Reds, before returning to his academy side Crystal Palace, where he still plays.

Dejan Lovren (Defender)

Once labelled as ‘one of the best defenders in the world’ (often by himself), Dejan Lovren was a leader at the back for Liverpool prior to the arrival of Virgil van Dijk and even started the Reds’ Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in 2018.

After Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, the Croatian was the third Southampton player to move to Liverpool in the 2014 transfer window, for a reported fee of £20m.

As Liverpool’s most expensive defender, before Van Dijk’s arrival, Lovren went on to make 185 appearances for the Reds in a six-year spell that ended with Premier League and Champions League winners medal.

A mainstay for his country, the 34-year-old even started for Croatia in their 4-2 World Cup final loss to France in 2018.

After departing Liverpool in 2020, Lovren spent two and a half years with Zenit Saint Petersburg before joining Lyon in January 2023.

Kolo Toure (Defender)

One of the most experienced players in the starting XI, this final would go on to be Kolo Toure’s final game for Liverpool.

It’s easy to forget just how good Toure was in his pomp. First arriving in England when he joined Arsenal in 2002, where he made 326 appearances and was a member of the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’, the centre-back also helped Manchester City to win their first league title in 44 years in 2012.

Toure certainly has an impressive record. He remains the African player with the most Premier League appearances and the second-most capped player for the Ivory Coast, with 120 appearances from 200 to 2015, representing his country at three World Cups.

After retiring following a season at Celtic, Toure joined Brendan Rogers’ coaching staff before becoming first-team manager for Wigan in November 2022. However, he was sacked just nine games later.

Alberto Moreno (Defender)

Another player who was a part of Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League success was Alberto Moreno, who spent five years at Anfield.

After coming through the Sevilla academy, the left-back went on to make 62 first team appearances for the Spanish side, including lifting the 2014 Europa League.

Later in 2014, Moreno joined Liverpool for a reported fee of £12m, where he would go on to make 141 appearances, collecting a Champions League winners medal along with EFL Cup and Europa League runners-up medals.

After leaving Liverpool in 2019, Moreno joined Spanish side Villarreal, winning the Europa League once more against Manchester United in a tense 11-10 shootout in 2021.

James Milner (Midfielder)

We all know about this man. A Liverpool legend who won all there was to win under Jurgen Klopp – bar the Europa League of course.

Playing for the likes of Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Manchester City, James Milner joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2015, making over 300 appearances.

In one of his final games for Liverpool, a 0-0 draw against Chelsea in April, the versatile midfielder made his 610^th Premier League appearance, which moved him up to third place in the all-time Premier League appearance charts.

Milner departed Liverpool this summer for Brighton and alongside Roberto Firmino was Liverpool’s last remaining player in the 2016 Europa League final XI.

Emre Can (Midfielder)

Now the club captain of German giants Borussia Dortmund, Emre Can spent four years with Liverpool.

Coming through the youth academy of Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich, the midfielder made just a handful of first team appearances for the German champions.

He joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014 for £9.75m where he made over 150 appearances for the Reds, winning various Goal of the Season awards for his unbelievable overhead kick in a 1-0 win over Watford in 2017.

After two years with Juventus from 2018 to 2020, the 29-year-old joined Borussia Dortmund and has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the German giants.

Adam Lallana (Midfielder)

Just like Milner, Adam Lallana currently plays for Brighton after leaving Liverpool in 2020 after six years at Anfield. Another player that the Reds pinched from Southampton, the 35-year-old moved to Merseyside in 2014 after making over 250 appearances for the Saints.

Lallana was never able to maintain momentum at Liverpool after joining for £25m, and only had injuries to blame for that. When fit and firing, Lallana was one of Klopp’s best players, but a good run of games was very rare for the attacking midfielder during his career at Anfield.

After making 128 league appearances for Liverpool, Lallana left the club after lifting the 2019/20 Premier League trophy.

Roberto Firmino (Attacker)

On a technical level, Roberto Firmino is arguably the best player we have ever seen at Liverpool. How can you not miss the Brazilian?

After joining Liverpool from Hoffenheim in 2015, Firmino scored 111 goals for the Reds in 362 appearances and was the man who brought Klopp’s most successful ever side together from an attacking perspective.

After departing this summer, Firmino joined Saudi Arabia side Al-Ahli before quickly being named the club’s captain.

Philippe Coutinho (Attacker)

One of the biggest ‘what-if’ players in Liverpool’s history. What if Philippe Coutinho had stayed at Liverpool?

Joining from Inter in 2013 for £8.5m, the now 31-year-old scored 54 goals in 201 appearances for the Reds. In 2017, interest from Barcelona firmly swerved Coutinho’s head who was set on a move to the Nou Camp and eventually left for a whopping £142m, including add-ons, in January 2018.

Since then, Coutinho’s career had dipped incredibly, failing to make a mark in Spain before joining Aston Villa in 2022 for £17m and now recently making the a loan to Al Duhail.

Daniel Sturridge (Attacker)

Last but not least, Daniel Sturridge. Now retired and entertaining viewers on Sky Sports every weekend, it’s hard not to love Liverpool’s former striker.

Spending time with Manchester City and Chelsea from 2006 to 2013, Sturridge made the switch to Merseyside and fitted in instantly. In his first full season with Liverpool, the striker formed the legendary ‘SAS’ partnership with Luis Suarez as the pair went on to top the Premier League scoring charts.

After that formidable season, during which Sturridge scored 21 league goals for the Reds, things slowed down Liverpool’s number 15. Injuries plagued the next few years, before leaving Liverpool in 2019 having scored 50 league goals.

Short spells with Turkish side Trabzonspor and Australia’s Peth Glory spelt the end of a great career for Sturridge, who retired in 2022.