Past playersDanny Murphy

Signed from the production line of talent at Crewe Alexandra, the nimble Murphy made his Reds debut as a substitute against Wimbledon in August 1997 and featured 17 times in his maiden year at Anfield.

When Gerard Houllier took the managerial reins, he fell out of favour and returned to his former club on loan. He was also made available for transfer but, to the benefit of the player and the club, a move failed to materialise.

Murphy was capable of playing in every midfield position - left to right - and was appreciated for his vision on the ball and hard running from deep. The England international was also a potent threat from set-pieces and long range.

These attributes helped Murphy force his way back into Houllier's plans, as did the first of his three winners at Old Trafford for the Reds - a sweet, curling free-kick converted in December 2000.

In total, he made 47 appearances during Liverpool's thrilling treble campaign of 2000-01, including starts in both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup finals. He also hit the target on the last day of the season to help secure Champions League qualification.

By now regarded as a mainstay by his French boss, Murphy played 56 games in all competitions in each of the two subsequent campaigns, adding another victorious strike against United and a second League Cup winner's medal to his burgeoning collection of highlights.

The midfielder maintained his form into 2003-04 and a remarkable third winning goal at the home of our Manchester rivals arrived in April, this time with a composed finish from the penalty spot.

Aged 27, Murphy still had a lot to offer but was considered dispensable by Rafael Benitez when the Spaniard replaced Houllier as manager in the summer of 2004 and began rebuilding the Liverpool squad, and he departed for Charlton Athletic.