Gérard Houllier’s 40 Liverpool signings ranked and rated – who’s the worst?

Milan Baros // Banik Ostrava // £3,200,000

Here’s a mad one for you: Milan Baros is still playing football for Banik Ostrava, the club Liverpool signed him from in 2001. They say never go back, but Baros is on his fourth stint with his hometown club.

The Czech international was signed as one for the future and played just once in his first campaign, but 2001-2002 proved to be the moment he began to integrate with the first team and Baros played 42 games, scoring 12 goals.

But then a broken ankle kept him out for five months and fell out with Houllier, who dropped him after a period of good form. Baros nearly left then, but Benitez came in and the striker finished Euro 2004 as the tournament’s top goal scorer.

That convinced Benitez to give the lad another go and Baros responded with 11 goals before Christmas, but failed to keep up momentum through the rest of the season and was sold in August 2005 to Aston Villa.

An odd Liverpool career then, for the man who never really lived up to the hype but teased us all with some fine performances here and there.

Rating: 5/10

Paul Jones // Southampton // On Loan

Paul Jones was signed on loan from Southampton as an emergancy goalkeeper following injuries to Dudek and Kirkland.

Did the job with a clean sheet on debut, but conceded two in his second and final game for Liverpool against Tottenham.

He was the oldest player to make his debut for the side since World War II at 36, eight months and 23 days.

Did a job.

Rating: 5/10