Liverpool's starting XI the last time they faced Toulouse – where are they now?

When Liverpool welcome Toulouse to Anfield for their latest Europa League showdown, they will finally be facing an opponent in the competition that they have history with – albeit very minor history. 

The Reds would have obviously much preferred to be fighting against the best of the best in the Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but after a horrendous 2022/23 season, qualification to Europe's second best competition was the best the side could achieve given the circumstances.

That's not to say that being able to compete to win his first ever Europa League is a bad consolation prize for Jurgen Klopp, it's just that playing on Thursday nights doesn't have quite the same glamour.

However, unlike Liverpool's first two opponents (LASK and Union Saint-Gilloise), Thursday evening won't be the first time the Reds have faced Toulouse.

READ MORE: Who are Toulouse? Opposition preview & analysis

Liverpool have played against the French side twice before, with both matches coming within a week of each other during the 2007/08 Champions League's qualifying rounds.

Not only did the Reds win both games, they smashed Toulouse 4-0 in the Anfield encounter.

But who started that match 16 years ago... and what happened next?

---

Pepe Reina (GOALKEEPER)

By far one of the club's longest servants in this XI was Pepe Reina, who played 394 games for the Reds across a long eight year spell in Merseyside. The Spaniard managed a staggering 177 clean sheets while playing for the Reds, one of which came in the club's 4-0 win over Toulouse.

When he eventually did depart Liverpool in 2013, Reina took a whistle spot tour across Europe as he became the number one at the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Aston Villa, Lazio and most recently, Villarreal.

At the age of 41, Reina is still playing at the top level of European football in Spain, and there is certainly a chance he could come up against the Reds in the latter stages of the Europa League, with both Liverpool and the Spanish side very likely to get past the group stages.

ÁLVARO ARBELOA (DEFENDER)

The big home win against the French side came just at the beginning of Alvaro Arbeloa's two-year stint at Liverpool, with the Spaniard playing right-back for the Reds on the night.

Arbaloa didn't have a long career, and many would argue his best days were at Real Madrid, but he did play 98 times for the club, scoring twice and recording five assists along the way.

After moving back to Real Madrid in 2009, the defender stayed put in his home country until 2016 when he made the move back to England via West Ham. However, he only managed three appearances back in the Premier League and subsequently retired.

DANIEL AGGER (DEFENDER)

You won't find more of a cult hero amongst the Liverpool faithful than Daniel Agger. From the moment he signed from his hometown club Brøndby in 2007, he put his blood sweat and tears into being a Reds player.

Across his eight-year career in Merseyside, Agger scored 14 goals and contributed eight assists in an impressive 232 appearances, before a romantic return back to Brøndby in 2014 where he retired two years later.

SAMI HYYPIA (DEFENDER AND CAPTAIN)

Sami Hyypia was and remains a Liverpool legend, and against Toulouse in 2007, he was given the rare opportunity to captain the Reds while Steven Gerrard was sidelined. He also scored the second of the Reds' four goals.

After making his Reds debut in 1999, the Finland international went on to play 464 times, scoring 35 goals, picking up 11 assists and winning eight major honours including that historic 2005 Champions League.

The Toulouse game certainly came at the tail end of the veteran defender's career, with Hyypia moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2009 and hanging up his boots two years later.

JOHN ARNE RIISE (DEFENDER)

Even if you ignored his 384 appearances, five trophies and the 2005 Champions League and only focused on his absolute traction engine of a left foot, he would still be a Liverpool legend.

The left-back played for the Reds across a seven-year span from 2001 to 2008 and fans were lucky enough to see him unleash thunderous strikes from way too far out on plenty of occasions. Once his Reds career came to a close, Riise continued playing for another nine years, with Roma and Fulham being the standout clubs before he retired in 2017. The Norwegian is now trying out management, and he is currently in charge of Toppserien club Avaldsnes.

JAVIER MASCHERANO (MIDFIELDER)

Liverpool fans always look back very kindly on Javier Mascherano, even if he did arguably play his best football at Barcelona once he left the Reds.

In his three seasons with the club from 2007 to 2010, he solidified himself as one of the world's best players in his position, before he eventually moved to the Spanish giant for the next eight years of his career.

After a few years in China and a (very) short spell at Estudiantes back in Argentina, Mascherano retired and he is now gaining experience in management while in charge of Argentina's Under-20s.

MOMO SISSOKO (MIDFIELDER)

Perhaps one of the lesser-known names in the starting XI among younger fans, Sissoko only played 87 times for the Reds during his nearly three year career, picking up just three goal contributions during that time.

In fact, the midfielder departed the club at the tail end of 2007, just months after the 4-0 Toulouse victory. Due to the presence of Gerrard, Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, Sissoko massively struggled for game time across the 2007/08 season and was subsequently sold to Juventus for just over £8m.

From there, he went on to play for PSG, Fiorentina, Levante and a host of less well-known clubs before retiring from football in 2020.

YOSSI BENAYOUN (MIDFIELDER)

Liverpool was the second English destination for Yossi Benayoun after the Israel international joined from West Ham in 2007.

After playing 134 times and picking up 49 goal contributions, the midfielder left the club and was passed around a host of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and QPR, before heading back to Israel for a number of years and retiring in 2019.

His final team before hanging up his boots was Beitar Jerusalem, who he became the sporting director of just 12 months after making his last appearance for the club.

DIRK KUYT (FORWARD)

Scorer of two on the night against Toulouse, Kuyt was another cult hero amongst the Liverpool fanbase throughout his six-year stint.

The tireless Dutchman scored 71 goals for the Reds, assisting another 33 and winning the 2012 League Cup, before he eventually departed later that year.

After a three-year stay with Turkish side Fenerbahce, he made his way back to his home nation and played in the Netherlands for a further three years – even scoring a hat-trick in his final appearance to clinch the Eredivisie title for Feyenoord in 2017.

What a way to bow out.

It didn't take long for Kuyt to venture into management – first with Feyenoord's academy, and then with ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands' second tier in 2022. Although the Dutchman only lasted five months before being replaced.

Kuyt has remained closely connected to Liverpool over the years and is still a vocal supporter of the Reds off of the pitch.

PETER CROUCH (ATTACKER)

Standing at 6ft 7in, everything about Peter Crouch says he shouldn't have been a footballer, but a footballer he was, and a superb one at that.

His Liverpool career only spanned three years (from 2005 until 2008), during which he scored 42 goals (including the opener against Toulouse) and contributed 17 assists. However, he is more beloved than many who lasted a lot longer at Anfield.

The former England star turned podcast host turned out for a whole load of Premier League clubs after departing Liverpool, from Portsmouth and Stoke, to Tottenham and Burnley, while he ended his long career as the Premier League's 29th highest goal scorer with 108 goals.

As well as podcasting, he can be found on TNT Sports as one of the channels regular pundits.

SEBASTIAN LETO (FORWARD)

Last and (let's face it) least, Sebastian Leto was the final Liverpool player in action when the club last faced Toulouse.

Normally a debut on a European night would have been special, but the Argentinian only went on to play four times for the Reds before being shipped out to Olympiacos. From there, Leto went on to play in Italy, Argentina and back to Greece, before retiring in 2018 with just 263 games played in all competitions.

Substitutes: Steve Finnan, Lucas Leiva, Ryan Babel

Manager: Rafa Benitez