Liverpool's 2013/14 Title Challengers: Where Are They 10 Years On? | OneFootball

It’s been almost 10 years since Daniel Sturridge’s solitary strike against Stoke City gave Liverpool an opening-day victory in the 2013/14 campaign.

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That win provided some much-needed positivity on Merseyside ahead of the new season, with the want-away talisman Luis Suarez serving the final six matches of his 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic.

The Reds, spearheaded by captain Steven Gerrard and a deadly attacking trio of Suarez, Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, won 11 consecutive league matches during the second half of the campaign as they closed in on a long-awaited Premier League crown.

However, an unfortunate late slip-up in the closing stages of an enthralling season derailed Brendan Rodgers’ side, allowing Manchester City to capitalise and finish top of the pile.

So, join GIVEMESPORT as we take a closer look at Liverpool’s team from the 2013/14 campaign, exploring what happened to the group of players who came within touching distance of delivering a famous Premier League title on Merseyside.

Signed from Sunderland for £9 million in the summer of 2013, Mignolet immediately endeared himself to Liverpool supporters with a match-winning penalty save in the 2013/14 league opener against Stoke.

Despite those debut heroics and a solid first season at Anfield, the Belgian keeper struggled for consistency in the years that followed and was replaced as the club’s number one in the 2017/18 season by Loris Karius.

Jurgen Klopp’s signing of Alisson Becker a year later marked the beginning of the end of Mignolet’s time at Liverpool, as he left for Belgian side Club Brugge in 2019.

The former England international spent six years on Merseyside following his arrival from Portsmouth in 2019, making 200 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

Despite impressing as a marauding full-back during his first couple of seasons under Rafael Benitez, Johnson’s powers quickly waned at Liverpool, which saw him leave the club in 2015 following the expiry of his contract.

He saw out the rest of his 16-year career at Stoke, where after making just 10 appearances in the 2017/18 campaign, he decided to announce his retirement from the sport.

The Slovakian centre-back enjoyed his best season at Liverpool during 2013/14, scoring seven goals in the league including important strikes against Arsenal and Man City.

The rest of Skrtel’s eight-year stint at the Reds was often littered with mistakes, although he still managed to amass more than 300 appearances for the club.

Skrtel left Liverpool for Fenerbache in the summer of 2016 after falling down the pecking order under Klopp, and he recently called time on his professional career after representing Spartak Trnava in his homeland.

Daniel Agger - Retired

The Danish centre-back was a popular figure at Anfield, making over 200 appearances during an eight-year spell at the club.

Often plagued by injury, Agger played just 23 times in the 2013/14 season as he bid an emotional farewell to Liverpool in the summer of 2014.

Having turned down various offers from around Europe, the Dane returned to boyhood side Brondby, where he retired two years later at the age of 31.

Kolo Toure - Retired

Signed by Rodgers in the summer of 2013, the experienced defender enjoyed a short stint at Liverpool during the twilight of his career.

As per Transfermarkt, the Ivorian collected over 70 appearances for the club, including 26 during Klopp’s first season at the helm.

After leaving Merseyside in 2016, Toure was reunited with Rodgers at Celtic for one final hurrah, before retiring with the Glasgow side to move into a coaching role.

Mamadou Sakho - Montpellier

After securing Sakho’s signature from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, the Frenchman was tipped to become a mainstay in Liverpool’s defence for years to come.

However, a string of mistakes and misdemeanours saw the defender exiled from the club’s pre-season tour in 2016, leading to his permanent departure just 12 months later.

After a four-year stint in South London with Crystal Palace, the 33-year-old is now back in France with Ligue 1 side Montpellier.

John Flanagan - Retired

Flanagan made his first-team debut for boyhood club Liverpool in 2011, before establishing himself at left-back during the 2013/14 campaign.

Despite making 25 appearances across all competitions, the “Scouse Cafu” wasn’t able to build on a string of impressive performances, as he struggled with injury between 2015 and 2018.

After years in the wilderness, Flanagan was released by the club and joined up with former Liverpool teammate Gerrard at Rangers. But an unfortunate reoccurring knee injury forced the Englishman to retire early at the age of 29. It's a real shame as Flanagan had such a bright future at a young age.

The Brazilian midfielder spent 10 years at Anfield, making over 300 appearances and becoming a firm fans’ favourite in the process.

Lucas went on to play nearly 200 games for Italian side Lazio after leaving Liverpool in 2017, before returning to boyhood club Gremio to finish his career.

Such was the admiration for Lucas by the Reds faithful, Liverpool fans made sure the Brazilian was named Lazio’s Player of the Season for the 2017/18 campaign after hijacking a poll on the club’s Twitter account.

Joe Allen - Swansea City

Rodgers signed Joe Allen from former side Swansea City in the summer of 2012, making the Welsh international his second acquisition as Liverpool manager (after Fabio Borini).

Famously labelled as the “Welsh Xavi” by Rodgers, Allen played over 100 times for the club, including 26 appearances during the 2013/14 season.

Despite being a valuable squad player during his four years on Merseyside, an impressive Euro 2016 campaign persuaded Stoke to secure his services for £13 million, where he played for six years before returning home to Swansea.

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson enjoyed a hugely successful 12-year spell on Merseyside, picking up eight trophies including both the Premier League and the Champions League.

The Sunderland-born midfielder was a key cog in Liverpool’s 2013/14 side, with his presence sorely missed during the latter stages of the campaign after a costly red card in the 3-2 victory over Man City.

Having made close to 500 appearances for the club, establishing himself as a true Liverpool great, Henderson made the controversial move to Al Ettifaq this summer, joining up with former teammate Gerrard in the Saudi Pro League.

After making his first-team debut in 1998, Gerrard became one of the best midfielders in world football at Liverpool, consolidating his place among the pantheon of greats to play for the historic club.

In his penultimate season at Anfield, Gerrard was a crucial part of their thrilling title challenge, scoring 13 times in 34 appearances (via Transfermarkt), although his ill-timed slip against Chelsea will forever haunt the legendary midfielder.

Gerrard spent two years at LA Galaxy following his departure from Liverpool in 2015, before moving into management with the likes of Rangers, Aston Villa, and more recently, Al Ettifaq.

Signed from Inter Milan for just £8.5 million in 2013, Philippe Coutinho was arguably Liverpool’s most underrated attacker in the swashbuckling team Rodgers assembled in 2013/14.

The Brazilian midfielder - just 21 years old at the time - scored five goals in the league that term, including a dramatic winner against Man City.

Coutinho continued to establish himself as a key player during a scintillating five-year stint at Anfield, before securing a big-money move to Barcelona in January 2018.

Despite the reported £142 million fee, the midfielder endured a turbulent time in Catalonia and has since returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa.

Raheem Sterling - Chelsea

Sterling was one of the best young talents in the world during his time at Liverpool, scoring 10 goals in a breakthrough 2013/14 campaign.

The England international enjoyed another productive season with the Reds before making a controversial switch to Man City in the summer of 2015.

For all of Liverpool’s success under Klopp, Sterling’s decision to leave Anfield was vindicated with a trophy-laden spell in Manchester, picking up four Premier League titles.

Despite scoring 131 goals in seven brilliant years at the Etihad, the winger was allowed to move to rivals Chelsea last summer.

The Uruguayan produced one of the best individual Premier League seasons of all time in 2013/14, scoring 31 times in 33 appearances.

Suarez’s stellar performances for Liverpool earned him a dream move to Barcelona, where he established himself as Europe’s best out-and-out striker, joining Lionel Messi and Neymar in one of the most deadly front threes in history.

After winning four La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy, Suarez moved to Atletico Madrid where he won another league title, before returning to South America to play for Nacional and Gremio.

Daniel Sturridge - Free Agent

Signed from Chelsea in January 2013, Sturridge started his Liverpool career in blistering form, scoring 35 times in just 49 matches across his first 18 months on Merseyside.

Unfortunately for the former England international, injuries severely hampered his next five seasons at the club, finding the net just 32 times before moving to Turkish side Trabzonspor in 2019.

It’s now been well over a year since Sturridge last played a professional match, and although the 33-year-old hasn’t officially announced his retirement, a return to action seems unlikely given his new role as a pundit for Sky Sports.