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Liverpool have had many free transfers over the years and a select few of them have gone on to become crowd favourites at Anfield. They have found the adoration of the Kop and cult status at the club. There comes an extra bit of satisfaction in gaining a lot from players who arrived at the club for nothing.
They usually join new clubs with a lot to prove and want to do well to show what they are worth. The Reds have had their fair share of them in recent times and have been the beneficiaries of some real bargains.
We are currently in an age where players are going for ridiculous amounts of money. There is a glut of TV money and foreign investment pouring into the transfer market, with transfer agents making huge cuts on mega deals. However, there are occasions where a player would opt to see out his contract and become available as a free agent.
Also read: Mohamed Salah deal marks a new dawn at Liverpool
These cut-price deals for talented players are elusive in this era of inflation. Attracting the best free agents could be a key in a successful window, as clubs are able to maximise their budgets on other important areas on the field.
The common necessity in all of the players on this list is the fact that they played well and contributed to Liverpool in a considerable way. However, some of them have reached cult status at Anfield for various reasons. The impact made off the field is almost as important as the impact on it. Liverpool fans will look back at the Reds careers of these five players and will have many positive things to say, and almost none negative.
#5 Maxi Rodriguez
Liverpool managed to secure a free transfer for Maxi Rodriguez in January 2010, a massive coup for the club. The Argentinian was a fixture of his national side and had been a key contributor at Atletico Madrid. He joined his ex-teammate Fernando Torres at Anfield with fans hoping that they would hit the ground running.
Torres was tolerating a troubled time on the sidelines and struggled to make much of an impact when Maxi joined. The club, themselves, were in a rotten spell during their lowest moments of the Premier League era.
Maxi was extremely talented and possessed an amazing first touch with a killer finish. However, his introduction to the side in 2010 was not enough to spark the team and Benitez was fired at the end of the season.
He continued to struggle under Roy Hodgson, as the club was undergoing a change in ownership. It was only after Dalglish was appointed manager did we see the best of Argentinian at Anfield. He lost his fellow forward Fernando Torres, but gained another one in Luis Suarez.
The end of the 2010-11 season was excellent for Maxi as he went on a sensational scoring run of seven goals in three matches. He came up big for the Reds in the following season as he scored crucial goals against the likes of Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers.
The Argentinian was sold when Brendan Rodgers joined the club and made a lot of changes to the squad. In terms of ability, Maxi Rodriguez would be much higher on this list. But the fact that his spell at Liverpool coincided with the most testing of times brings him down a bit.
#4 Kolo Toure
The two-time Premier League winner came to Anfield as the Reds' first signing of the 2013 summer transfer window. At 32 years old he was brought in to be a squad player and provide cover for the first-choice centre-backs.
His experience was also valuable to the squad as Brendan Rodgers was aiming high. Kolo Toure still played a lot because of injuries to the likes of Daniel Agger and Mamadou Sakho. His fighting performances for the Reds were enough to endear him to the hearts of the Kop.
Kolo Toure’s passion for the game was infectious as he still looked up for it. His on-field leadership and off-field lightheartedness gave Liverpool a positive injection. His experience did prove important as the young and dynamic Reds came so close to winning the Premier League title. Only in recent months has the atmosphere around the club been as positive as it was during those electric few months. Toure's enthusiasm played a big part in that challenge.
His performances were either rock-solid or ridiculous. There were a couple of terrible errors from the Ivorian, but he was often the one to remain calm and keep his teammates in check. When Liverpool faced Real Madrid away in the Champions League Toure managed to keep Ronaldo quiet throughout the game, putting in a terrific display.
He was at the thick of the transition from Rodgers to Klopp and continued to show how good he really was. Through it all, he played with a huge smile and pure love for the game. Toure’s excellent attitude and his love for life was a breath of fresh air and a delight to see at Anfield.
#3 Fabio Aurelio
He is often a forgotten man when it comes to former Liverpool players, but Fabio Aurelio sits pretty near the top of this list. Despite having multiple injuries at Liverpool, he made 134 appearances for the Reds. Perhaps people tend to forget him because he was never a star at the time. The Brazilian played in a team with the likes of Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Dirk Kuyt, which is maybe why he hasn't been looked at as one of Liverpool's key players.
Aurelio was the first ever Brazilian to play for Liverpool, as he signed from Valencia in 2006. He was not exactly a pacy full-back, but he made up for it with excellent positional and tactical awareness. He was one of Rafa Benitez's most efficient players during his reign as manager on Merseyside. He was a solid hand, as he had helped Benitez's Valencia side to win two La Liga titles. His departure from Liverpool actually sparked the recently concluded left-back crisis.
His best moment came when he smashed home a free-kick at Old Trafford en route to a 4-1 victory over title rivals Manchester United. His stunning set-piece at Stamford Bridge also sticks out as he caught everybody off guard, especially Petr Cech, to squeeze home an extremely innovative goal. Injuries robbed him from having a much more fruitful time at Liverpool, but he will always remain the first ever Brazilian to play for the club.
#2 James Milner
When James Milner left Manchester City in search of regular football, few saw him moving to Liverpool. However, it turned out that he would become an important component at the club, especially after captain Steven Gerrard had left. Since then, Milner has been the epitome of professionalism at Anfield. After a year helping the midfield under both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp, he spent the 2016-17 season as Liverpool’s first choice left-back.
After Klopp decided that Alberto Moreno could not be trusted in that role, he turned to Mr Dependable. He has an abundance of qualities that managers love and never complains for a second. Milner will always put the team first and help out in any way possible. His bags of energy and teamwork ethic makes him an unlikely favourite of the German manager. He did return to his favoured midfield position when Andy Robertson was brought in from Hull City, and it was for the better.
Milner has been extremely productive in the creative department as his assists led Liverpool to three cup finals in three years under Klopp. He broke the record for the highest number of Champions League assists in a single season, with nine.
This shows that he is more than just a willing worker for the Reds. While he may not be getting any younger, Milner remains a key figure for Liverpool as Klopp is seeking to improve the overall strength of the squad. With his new Twitter and Instagram accounts, James Milner has slowly become a fan favourite and a cult hero at Anfield.
#1 Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister joined Liverpool from Coventry on a free transfer in the summer of 2000. It seemed like an odd choice, as the 35-year-old would likely earn a high amount of wages. The Reds had many midfield options like Jamie Redknapp, Dietmar Hamann and a young Steven Gerrard. It turns out that the Scotsman brought much more than just good performances on the pitch for Liverpool, after the season that followed for the Scousers.
He brought a huge amount of leadership and experience to the club and helped some of the younger stars reach their potential. His influence showed on the ever-improving character and work ethic of the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. McAllister brought a lot of wisdom, from being a 15-year veteran, with him to Anfield and it proved to be an immense help for the overall development of the team. He also helped the Reds on their way to a unique treble.
Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 2000-01, as well as qualified for the following season's Champions League. Gary McAllister had a hand in three of Liverpool's five goals in the UEFA Cup Final against Alaves. But his most memorable moment as Red will always be his unbelievable free-kick winner at Goodison Park against Everton. He scored from forty-four yards out to win the Merseyside Derby 3-2 in the 94th minute of the game. As far as goals go, one cannot beat that.
While he remains a prominent ambassador for the Liverpool, Gary McAllister will always be remembered for unlocking this young team's potential, as they transitioned from Gerard Houllier to Rafa Benitez and enjoyed one of the best European spells in the club's history. There has not been a better free transfer made by Liverpool, and it will be extremely hard to top The Enforcer.
