A 5-0 defeat in a cup quarter-final would normally be greeted with anger and dismay, but when it happened to Liverpool five years ago today, that wasn’t the case.
In a unique anomaly of fixture scheduling, the Reds partook in two first-team fixtures in two different competitions on two different continents within the space of 24 hours.
While Jurgen Klopp took the senior squad to Qatar for the Club World Cup – a decision vindicated by LFC winning that tournament for the first time – he left then under-21 boss Neil Critchley to fulfil a Carabao Cup last-eight clash away to Aston Villa on 17 December 2019.
A youthful Liverpool side were unsurprisingly dispatched by the Villans’ first team, but what has since become of that Reds starting XI like no other?
Liverpool starting XI v Aston Villa, 17/12/2019
Caoimhin Kelleher: Still at Liverpool five years later and has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League despite not being a regular for the Reds. The continued brilliance of Alisson Becker means the 26-year-old might push to leave Anfield next summer.
Ki-Jana Hoever: The Dutch right-back had actually made his debut at the start of 2019 in an FA Cup tie against Wolves, who signed him for £10m the following year. He’s still their player but is now on his third loan spell away from Molineux with Ligue 1 outfit Auxerre.
Sepp van den Berg: Another Dutchman in defence who’s had a multitude of loan moves. He was on Liverpool’s books until the summer of this year, when he was sold to Brentford for £25m. He’s been a regular in Thomas Frank’s side this season, making 13 Premier League starts.
Morgan Boyes: The Welsh centre-back made just one further appearance for the Reds before going on loan to Fleetwood in 2020. Left Anfield for Livingston two years later and he joined Greenock Morton of the Scottish Championship in July.
Tony Gallacher: The left-back’s solitary Liverpool outing came at Villa Park. He was on loan at Toronto FC in 2020 before leaving for St Johnstone at the start of 2022. Now 25, the Scot has been a free agent since the end of last season.
Pedro Chirivella (captain): The Spanish midfielder had been at Anfield since Brendan Rodgers’ reign, with all 11 of his appearances coming in either 2015/16 or 2019/20. He left for Nantes a few months after the Villa game and has remained there ever since. The 28-year-old is now captain at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
Herbie Kane: The midfielder’s only two Reds appearances were in that season’s Carabao Cup. He’s played for no fewer than four Yorkshire clubs, with Huddersfield the latest addition to the list after he joined them from Barnsley this summer.
Isaac Christie-Davies: The Welshman never played for Liverpool before or after the Villa game, going on loan to Cercle Brugge in 2020 before a permanent move to Barnsley later that year. Via DAC Dunajska Streda in Slovakia, he returned to Belgium with Eupen in 2022 and has been there ever since.
Tom Hill: Just 17 at that time, the winger is still at Anfield but hasn’t made a first-team appearance since that night. Suffered a horrific cruciate ligament injury in 2020 which robbed him of two years of a promising career.
Luis Longstaff: Another whose sole Liverpool outing came that night, the midfielder was deployed at centre-forward against Villa. He joined Queens Park on loan for 2021/22 before permanent transfers to Cove Rangers and current club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Harvey Elliott: Along with Kelleher, the ex-Fulham youngster is the only player from that quarter-final to establish himself at Liverpool. Has had a couple of lengthy spells out injured but still racked up 123 first-team appearances for the Reds and is likely to start against Southampton tomorrow night.
Liverpool substitutes v Aston Villa, 17/12/2019
Jack Bearne: The winger had 25 minutes off the bench that night and never played for our first team again. Joined Kidderminster on loan in 2022 before leaving Anfield for good the following year. Had one season at Greenock Morton before joining Hednesford Town of Northern Premier League Division One West.
Leighton Clarkson: The talented midfielder played just three times for Liverpool’s first team but impressed on loan at Blackburn and Aberdeen, joining the latter permanently in June 2023.
James Norris: The 21-year-old is still at Liverpool, having had a loan spell at Tranmere last season. He was an unused substitute in the Champions League win over Girona last week and could be given a rare start against Southampton tomorrow if senior left-back Kostas Tsimikas hasn’t recovered from injury.
