If you told Liverpool fans five years ago they would be champions of England, Europe and the world in 2020, they would think that you were completely crazy.
The 2014/15 season had seen the Reds finish sixth, 25 points adrift of champions Chelsea. They beat Southampton by two points, Swansea by six points and Stoke by eight points. They weren't much more than a midtable side.
A few months later, Jurgen Klopp arrived at everything changed.
Not just the personnel but the whole attitude at the club transformed almost overnight.
While fans wouldn't have believed the turnaround if you'd had told them five years ago, the current champions probably wouldn't have believed you either.
But where was this Liverpool squad exactly five years ago?
That was the question HITC answered in a YouTube video.
But where were they back in 2015?
Let's take a look:
Alisson - Internacional
The world’s best goalkeeper was in Brazil in 2015, before making a €7.5 million move to Roma in the summer of 2016. He’s worth about ten times that amount now.
Adrian - West Ham
Adrian was in the middle of a six-season spell at West Ham, becoming the club’s No.1 back in 2015. If you told him he’d be English, European and world champions in five years’ time, he’d tell you you’re a big fat liar.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold would have been 16 and looking forward to breaking into the first-team at some point in the near future. He’s done that alright.
Virgil van Dijk - Celtic
The Scottish Premiership was far too easy for Van Dijk and, at the end of the 2014/15 campaign, he made his move to the Premier League with Southampton paying £13 million for him. Five years on, he’s the best defender in world football.
Joe Gomez - Liverpool
Gomez had only recently made the £3.5 million move from Charlton to Liverpool at the age of 18.
Dejan Lovren - Liverpool
Lovren had just played his first season at Liverpool following his £20 million move from Southampton. He’s now been at the club for six campaigns and fans probably won’t be too sad to see the back of him.
Joel Matip - Schalke
Matip spent seven seasons in Germany with Schalke before Liverpool snapped him up on a free transfer ahead of the 2016/17 season. What a fantastic purchase that proved to be.
Andy Robertson - Hull City
Talking of fantastic purchases. Liverpool paid Hull £8 million for Robertson after their relegation to the Championship. He’s now the best left-back in the world.
Jordan Henderson - Liverpool
Henderson has been at Liverpool since his £16 million move in 2011 and had just been made captain five years ago. He couldn’t have predicted he would have his trademark trophy lift having helped himself to the Champions League, Super Cup, World Club Cup and the Premier League.
Fabinho - Monaco
Fabinho spent two seasons on loan at Monaco from 2013-15 before signing permanently for the French club in May 2015. After signing for Liverpool in May 2018 for £39 million, he’s been brilliant.
Gini Wijnaldum - PSV
Wijnaldum was just about to make his £14.5 million move to Newcastle, where he lasted just one campaign before Liverpool snapped him up for £25 million.
James Milner - Liverpool
Milner signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2015 on a free transfer from Manchester City. He’s played almost 150 times for the club and, like Matip, has proven to be an incredibly astute purchase for absolutely nothing.
Adam Lallana - Liverpool
This season is Lallana’s sixth and final at Anfield. He signed from Southampton for £25 million in the summer of 2014.
Naby Keita - RB Salzburg
Keita was in Austria with Salzburg alongside Takumi Minamino. He soon signed for… you guessed it, RB Leipzig. We didn’t see that coming. He hasn’t quite found his feet since his £52.75 million move in 2018 - although he has shown glimpses.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - Arsenal
Nobody saw this coming when Oxlade-Chamberlain was in the middle of a six-season stint at Arsenal. But he moved to Liverpool for a fee of £35 million and has won trophy after trophy since.
Takumi Minamino - RB Salzburg
As mentioned, Minamino was with Keita in Salzburg. Surprisingly, he didn’t make the expected move to RB Leipzig with Liverpool stealing in.
Xherdan Shaqiri - Inter Milan
Basel, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Stoke and Liverpool. Shaqiri has had quite a career. Five years ago, he was in Italy with Inter.
Divock Origi - Liverpool
Liverpool announced Origi’s signing in July 2014 before he allowed to return to Lille on loan. The 2015/16 season was Origi’s first and he managed five goals in 16 Premier League appearances.
Mohamed Salah - Fiorentina (on loan from Chelsea)
Now, this is crazy. Five years ago, Salah had just scored six goals in 16 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina after a miserable spell at Chelsea. A loan spell at Roma - and then a permanent move - followed before Liverpool splashed £37 million on him. What a waste of money. Wait, he’s scored 94 goals in 150 appearances!? Wow.
Roberto Firmino - Liverpool
Five years ago, Firmino had just signed for Liverpool in a £29 million deal. Was it going to be another expensive mistake made by the infamous transfer committee? Possibly if Brendan Rodgers had stayed in charge. But Klopp knows exactly how to get the best out of him.
Sadio Mane - Southampton
Mane had just finished the first of two seasons at Southampton, scoring 10 goals in 30 Premier League appearances. He bagged 11 the following year, tempting Liverpool to spend £34 million on him. MONEY. WELL. SPENT.
Jurgen Klopp - Borussia Dortmund
After leading Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, Klopp’s magic appeared to be disappearing in the 2014/15 campaign. For long periods, Dortmund were in a relegation battle but eventually finished 7th. He left in the summer of 2015 and waited around a few months before Liverpool gave him a call. Probably the best decision the club has ever made.
