Past playersJari Litmanen

The club had twice previously attempted to bring the Finnish forward to Anfield unsuccessfully but Gerard Houllier eventually got his man – then described Litmanen as 'one of the most exciting signings we have made'.

Litmanen possessed an almost-perfect touch and supreme vision aligned with an extensive passing range; with a group of hungry strikers to create for, the addition of the attacker seemed like an ideal adjustment.

He made his debut as a substitute during the League Cup semi-final first leg at Crystal Palace in January 2001, which the Reds lost. He was a catalyst in turning the tie around a fortnight later, however, as the Londoners were thrashed 5-0 at Anfield.

The Finn contributed in each of the three cup competitions during 2000-01 but picked up an unfortunate injury that forced him to watch from the sidelines as Houllier's side secured treble glory at the climax.

Litmanen arrived on Merseyside with a reputation for scoring brilliant individual goals and he did not disappoint; during the first few weeks of the 2001-02 campaign, he glided beyond a series of challenges and launched the ball into the far corner at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

With Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen all battling for playing time alongside Litmanen, the former Ajax forward was regularly the victim of Houllier's rotation policy – a decision that often frustrated fans and the player himself.

Nevertheless, he converted a crucial spot-kick in the emotional Champions League victory over Roma in March 2002; in the subsequent quarter-final, Litmanen rose from the bench to score once more but his efforts were in vain as the Reds crashed out.

Having featured in 43 matches during his 20 months with the club – and found the target nine times – Litmanen and the Reds parted company in August 2002 and the Finn returned to Dutch outfit Ajax.