All Rafa Benitez 45 signings for Liverpool ranked!
By David Gate
Number 19: Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler will forever be a legend at Liverpool. He scored 120 goals in 236 League games from 1992 to 2002. Unfortunately, his career with the club ended on a sour note after tension grew with manager Gerard Houllier. But regardless of how Houllier felt, the fans certainly did not want to see Fowler leave.
And that’s why the Liverpool faithful rejoiced when Benitez brought Fowler back on a free transfer on January 27, 2006. He made his second Liverpool debut on February 1, 2006.
Fowler entered the game as a substitute, coming on for Peter Crouch to a massive ovation. Signs around the stadium read, “Fowler God 11 — Welcome back to heaven.”
Although the 31-year-old Fowler was a shell of his former self, he still managed to tally five league goals in 14 appearances during the 2005-2006 season. His next season would be his last as a Red.
Fowler scored three goals in 16 appearances during the 2006-2007 campaign. Amazingly, all three goals were scored on penalties against Sheffield United. The first came in the season opening away fixture, with second and third (and final) ones coming at Anfield on February 24, 2007.
Fowler’s last game with Liverpool came against Charlton Athletic on May 13, 2007. He was brought on as a substitute with only a few minutes remaining in the game, and was given the captain’s armband to a standing ovation. @UnofficialAB
Number 18: Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy’s first stint at Anfield only lasted one year, but it was full of anecdotes and good memories. Bellamy was not the flashiest signing, but he was always willing to put a shift in and came up big in decisive moments for the Reds.
Bellamy’s most infamous moment for Liverpool came when it was reported that he had attacked his teammate John Arne Riise with a golf club during a training session. Yet, this was all forgotten when Bellamy opened the scoring and then assisted the second goal in a historic victory at the Camp Nou.
The Welsh speedster left Liverpool only a year after joining amid rumblings of a bust-up with Rafa Benitez, but he returned in 2011 under Kenny Dalglish for a final season with the Reds. All in all, his first year for Liverpool should be considered a small success. @wilko_mart_cach