Revisiting the weird Liverpool XI that won the 2012 League Cup

Liverpool racked up a record ninth League Cup crown after a penalty shootout victory over Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea on Sunday. It ended a decade-long wait for another domestic cup trophy to return to Anfield.

Ten years ago, club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish was the man in the managerial hot seat as the Reds faced Cardiff City in the showpiece final at Wembley – Liverpool were also penalty-winners on that February afternoon.

Anthony Gerrard – cousin of iconic Liverpool captain at the time, Steven Gerrard – missed the decisive final kick of the shoot-out to end the Merseysiders’ six-year wait for a trophy.

Despite Dalglish overseeing an outfit that won the then-named Carling Cup under the Wembley arch, it’s fair to say the Scotsman didn’t have the quality of team Jurgen Klopp now has the luxury of leading.

Nevertheless – at all clubs – players who win silverware are always respected. Despite Dalglish going on to lose his job at the end of the 2011-12 season, his side gave him and the fans a day that remains fondly remembered. But what happened to the Liverpool players that defeated the Bluebirds in dramatic style?

The Spain international – signed by compatriot Rafael Benitez from Villareal in 2005 – established himself as one of the greatest Liverpool goalkeepers of recent history in his eight-year stay at the club, before he moved to Napoli in 2013.

The 2012 triumph was one of two trophies Reina won on Merseyside – the other being the 2006 FA Cup. Despite not hitting previous heights with performances in his latter stages at Anfield, it’s believed Reina was reluctant to leave England.

Brendan Rodgers had his eye on a new goalkeeper – Simon Mignolet – it’s fair to say the Belgium international didn’t go on to become a