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Liverpool appointed Rafa Benitez as their head coach in 2004 after his success with Valencia. As soon as he arrived, he brought in a Spanish revolution at Anfield, stretching from the staff to the players.
He bought numerous players from his homeland and this approach proved to be successful. He led the team to the Champions League title, FA Community Shield, FA Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup with the Spanish players playing a crucial role.
Benitez left Liverpool in 2010 but the trend that he started hasn't changed much. There is still a trend of buying Spanish players at the club with Alberto Moreno being the most recent one to join the Reds.
This is a look at five of the greatest Spaniards to have ever played for Liverpool.
#5 Alvaro Arbeloa (2007-2009)
The Spanish full-back may not be as popular as the other players on this list, but the Real Madrid academy product had a decent spell at Anfield.
Signed from Deportivo de La Coruña in 2007, Arbeloa was brought in to replace the aging Steve Finnan at the club. He quickly made his mark at the club when he brilliantly handled Lionel Messi during his first start at the club against Barcelona in the Champions League.
Although he failed to win any silverware at Liverpool, he was a vital part of the squad which nearly ended the club's league drought in the 2008-2009 season. He played 66 games for the Reds and had scored two goals.
He left for his 'boyhood-club', Real Madrid in 2009 and won numerous trophies during his seven seasons at the Bernabeu.
#4 Luis Garcia (2004-2007)
There are not many foreign players that Kop loved as much as they loved Luis Garcia. He is among Anfield's favorite cult-heroes.
One of Benitez's first transfer window signings, Garcia was one of the main reasons why Liverpool won the 2004-2005 Champions League. He scored six goals in the Champions League that season with five of them coming in the knockout rounds.
He failed to make a similar contribution in his second season and missed many important games due to suspension or injury.
He suffered a serious ACL injury the following season and this forced the Reds to sign other players to replace him. He made 122 appearances in all competitions for the club and scored 31 times.
He left for Atletico Madrid in 2007 and had brief spells with other clubs in Spain, Greece, Mexico, India, and Australia before hanging his boots in 2016.
#3 Pepe Reina (2005-2013)
One of Liverpool's best goalkeepers of the Premier League era, Reina will be long remembered for his heroic performances in front of the Kop. He played 285 Premier League games for Liverpool and has kept the fourth highest (114) clean sheets in the league's history.
He joined Liverpool from Villarreal in 2005 and took over as the first-choice goalkeeper in his very first season. He kept 21 clean-sheets during his debut season at the club and also won the league's Golden Glove.
He struggled at the start of the next season but regained his form as the season developed and once again won the Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets. He won the same award in the 2007-2008 season as well.
Pepe Reina left Liverpool for Napoli on loan in 2013 and later, left the Reds permanently for Bayern Munich in 2014.
He failed to impress at Allianz Arena and re-joined Napoli on a permanent basis after just one year with the Bavarians.
#2 Fernando Torres (2007-2010)
One of the most gifted strikers to ever play in the Premier League, Torres was among the world's best players during his time at Anfield.
He joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007 and quickly marked his presence in the Premier League by scoring on his Anfield debut against Chelsea. He continued to build on his strong start and finished his debut season with 24 league goals.
He stayed at Anfield for four seasons, scoring 65 goals in 105 league games. He is the fastest Liverpool player to get to 50 goals and was also included in the league's Team of the Year for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons. He won third place in the FIFA Player of the Year award in 2008.
Torres joined Chelsea for a then British record transfer fee of £50m but struggled to replicate his Liverpool form at Stamford Bridge. After struggling for four years at Chelsea and then on loan at AC Milan, he re-joined his first professional club, Atletico Madrid and is currently playing there.
#1 Xabi Alonso (2004-2009)
One of the best passers of the ball the Premier League has ever seen, Alonso is the undisputed number one on this list.
Signed in 2004 from Real Sociedad, Alonso was one of the many Spaniards signed by Benitez.
He became a fan favorite and famously scored Liverpool's third goal in the team's famous comeback in the 2004-2005 Champions League final against AC Milan.
Known for his excellent vision and passing skills, he had a brilliant partnership with Steven Gerrard in midfield and nearly helped to end the club's league drought in 2009.
He played 219 times for the Reds and won the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup during his time at the club.
His brilliant performances caught the attention of Spanish giants, Real Madrid and he eventually signed for them in 2009. He stayed at the Bernabeu for six years and moved to Bayern Munich in 2014, the club where he ended his professional career in 2017.
