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

By Russell Hughes

Liverpool, Gerard Houllier, Florent Sinama Pongolle, Harry Kewell. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Liverpool, Gerard Houllier, Florent Sinama Pongolle, Harry Kewell. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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Gary McAllister, Liverpool
Gary McAllister, Liverpool (Michael Steele/ALLSPORT) /

Gary McAllister // Free Agent

Gary McAllister arrived for nothing, as a 35-year-old in a team that had an average age of 25. It seemed like a slightly odd move, but it was an inspired bit of business from Houllier – who has got a really patchy record with dealings.

He was another one who arrived at the start of the triple cup winning season, and scored a free-kick from 44-yards out against Everton to win the game. McAllister really got in his stride in the second-half of his debut campaign and put in a number of memorable performances and scored in five games in a row.

The Scot was responsible for the victorious penalty that saw them past Barcelona and through to the UEFA Cup final, in which he was named Man of the Match. 47 appearances and seven goals in 2000-2001 isn’t a bad return for an older man.

His second season with Liverpool was less influential, but he still made 38 appearances as he scored just twice and bowed out of the professional game as a playing legend.

Rating: 8/10

Liverpool, John Arne Riise.
Liverpool, John Arne Riise. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

John Arne Riise // AS Monaco// £4,000,000

Liverpool beat Fulham and Leeds in the chase for John Arne Riise his falling out at Monaco. The £4 million spent on the Norweigan fullback turned out to be one of the best bargains in club history.

Riise’s Liverpool career got off to a flying start as he thrived in his first season. He scored iconic goals against Everton and Manchester United, also netting a crucial goal in the 3-2 UEFA Super Cup victory against Bayern Munich.

The Norweigan wouldn’t pick up this stellar form again until the arrival of Rafael Benitez in 2004. That season was arguably Riise’s best with the Reds as he proved to be instrumental in Liverpool’s Champions League run. Although he missed one of the penalties, it was his assist to Steven Gerrard that kickstarted the famous comeback. Riise would make up for his penalty miss by scoring what ended up being the winning penalty for the Reds in their victory over West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final.

In his seven seasons, Riise ended up winning five major trophies in his 348 appearances with the Reds, netting a total of 31 unforgettable goals; all for the price of £4 million.

Rating: 8/10. Words by Minh Nguyen.

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