Klopp only has four players left standing from first pre-season milestone

30 July 2023 , 06:00

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Few Liverpool fans will perhaps remember the first piece of silverware Jurgen Klopp added to the club's trophy cabinet back in the summer of 2017.

The sight of Jordan Henderson holding a trophy aloft is one which the club's fanbase has become accustomed to in recent years. But with their captain one of the latest to head out the exit door, Klopp is in the midst of a transition arguably not seen at Anfield since a similar time six years ago.

Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson had just arrived, while Virgil van Dijk was still plying his trade down on the south coast when the Reds won the Premier League Asia Trophy during their pre-season tour in Hong Kong. Fresh of the back of securing Champions League football, silverware had still eluded Klopp up to this point.

While beating the likes of Leicester, Crystal Palace and West Brom to win a pre-season tournament is hardly something to write home about, perhaps even Liverpool may not have expected the journey they were about to go on in the seasons to come.

Asked about his selection plans for the forthcoming campaign after their 2-1 victory against Leicester in the final, Klopp replied: "[The players] have to show up, that's how it is, but they don't have to convince me because I'm already convinced, that's why they're here."

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Fast forward to 2023 and a number of those players have become club legends and household names, while others have not been quite so fortunate - yet just four of those stars remain part of Klopp's squad now as Liverpool embark on a new era.

Starting in goal was a young pre-Champions League final nightmare Loris Karius - now 30 and a back-up at Newcastle, while Lyon's Dejan Lovren partnered Joel Matip at the heart of Liverpool's defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and James Milner - recently departed to Brighton - occupying his then-familiar role as auxiliary left-back.

Jordan Henderson lifts the Asia Trophy after Liverpool beat Leicester in 2017 (Getty Images)

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In midfield was Milner's new Brighton team-mate Adam Lallana, previously a key figure in Klopp's early days at the helm, with Georginio Wijnaldum and Philippe Coutinho - the latter of whom would join Barcelona the following January in a huge transfer which would pave the way for the crucial arrivals of Van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho.

In attack, Salah joined Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi, both of whom are now consigned to the club's history books along with Sadio Mane, who was not part of the squad. Of Liverpool's 11 substitutes, only Joe Gomez is still at Anfield, showing a real shift in personnel.

Even Matip and Gomez are not guaranteed starters, with Alexander-Arnold and Salah the only two names still likely to feature prominently from the season's curtain raiser. It was Salah who pulled Liverpool back level on the night against Leicester, cancelling out Islam Slimani's opener to make it two goals in two games in pre-season - before he would enjoy a season which was nothing short of remarkable.

Mohamed Salah is one of just four players still at the club from the win six years ago (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Coutinho grabbed the winner, but his star faded as soon as he shook hands on a switch to the Nou Camp. The Brazilian was the first of the 'Fab Four' to move on, and now the least revered. Meanwhile Salah is now part of a new attacking lineup, along with Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez.

Klopp also appears to have finally replaced Coutinho's creativity in midfield, bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister as more attack-minded options, rather than his trusted pragmatic approach which has proved the foundation of their success.

Things have changed quite dramatically for Sunday's opponents too, given Leicester had only won the Premier League a year earlier and are now starting next season in the Championship.

There won't be a trophy on offer this time, nor will much likely be remembered from this game in the weeks and months to come. But with Klopp admitting his team selection will more closely mirror the one that will start in their Premier League opener away at Chelsea, we could get a better idea about those who have "convinced" him they can be part of Liverpool's bright new era.