Liverpool Transfers: 10 Boyhood Reds Fans The Club Should Have Signed

When Robbie Keane signed on the dotted line and declared his undying love for the club, many basked in the real-life footballer’s tale of Lassie Come Home. When he repeated the trick at Celtic, some eyes started to roll and opinions were re-evaluated. Contrary to popular belief, the Irishman was not bold enough to tell the LA Galaxy fans that he had always dreamed of retiring in Los Angeles a washed-up shadow of the force he once was.

When Rickie Lambert trembled his way through his first press conference, his eyes struggling to drink in the reality of his move, the hearts melted once more. The Kirkby-born centre-forward had realised a dream in finally signing for the club that had rejected him 15 years previously.

And let’s not even revisit how happy Robbie Fowler looked when Rafa Benitez rescued him from his Man City nightmare at the age of 32.

There is a passion that comes with representing Liverpool, and even more so when it is what you have dreamed about since a young age. These are just a handful of players who realised such a goal but such is Liverpool’s prestige that there are others - thousands - who long for the same opportunity.

Take a look at this band of players who supported the Reds during the youth, and who the club should have made more of an effort to entice…

“Gerrard was a big reason I began supporting Liverpool. I remember Istanbul, the FA Cup final, and the game against Olympiakos: Gerrard just scoring amazing goals.” - Dele Alli, September 2014.

Everybody knows why Liverpool should have signed Dele Alli. He is one of the brightest, most inventive and exciting talents in British football right now. After it emerged that the club missed out on securing his signature due to the American ownership’s frugal reluctance to pay him the wages he wanted, Liverpool fans everywhere might well have screamed into the nearest pillow out of sheer frustration.

The MK Dons prodigy, then 19, joined Spurs in January 2015 instead and has gone on to become a key figure for the club as they secured Champions League football, while the youngster has nailed down a starting berth in the national team.

“We thought we had him at Liverpool - I spoke to him with his adoptive parents. Karl Robinson, the manager of MK Dons, drove him down to us. We were in contact with Dele. It as all above board. He wanted to come to Liverpool. It was just then about getting the deal done with the club and unfortunately it never got done but at that point, that Saturday evening, we thought we had him in, it was done.” - Dele Alli, January 2016.

The boyhood Liverpool fan chose instead to sign for a club who were willing to play ball with regards to his wage demands, and the rest, as they say, is history.