Past playersEmre Can

The midfielder had represented his country across all youth levels and captained the U17s through their World Cup campaign in 2011 – a fact that also evidenced his budding leadership skills.

His progress had been closely monitored by top clubs since the start of his youth career at SV Blau-Gelb Frankfurt and Eintracht Frankfurt, where it was evident Can boasted brilliance beyond his years.

In 2009, Bayern Munich recognised his talents and secured his signature. In a bid to aid his acceleration into first-team football, the German giants sold him to Bayer Leverkusen in August 2013.

Can's performances while at Leverkusen attracted the interest of Liverpool as he shone in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, making his debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the latter tournament.

As the midfielder eyed the crucial next step in his development, a deal was agreed in principle with Leverkusen for a move to Merseyside, which was officially rubber-stamped a month later, in time for pre-season.

2014-15 saw Can emerge as one of the Premier League's best young players, with assured performances in both defence and defensive midfield belying his tender years.

His first Liverpool goal came against Chelsea in November 2014, and he continued to make key contributions throughout his maiden campaign with the club.

The arrival of Jürgen Klopp at Anfield only heightened the German's standing within the squad, and he played a huge role in the Reds reaching the finals of both the Europa League and League Cup in 2015-16.

Can helped Liverpool secure qualification back to the Champions League during 2016-17, including a sensational overhead-kick winner at Watford in the last weeks of the campaign.

He continued to feature regularly in the next season, too, though an untimely injury meant he missed the majority of its final two months.

Can's last appearance for the Reds came as a substitute in the Champions League showpiece defeat by Real Madrid in Kyiv, and he subsequently joined Juventus following the expiry of his contract.