Over the years, many players have come and gone at Liverpool. Some more remembered than others. I decided to look back at the players that had brief spells at Liverpool and ask the question, ‘where did they go?’
Sebastian Leto
Leto was signed from Argentinean club Lanus after Liverpool beat competition from Real Betis and River Plate for his signature. Although he featured in Champions League and league cup matches, he was not allowed to play in the Premier League due to issues with his passport. Liverpool had to apply for a work permit in order for the left winger to feature in the league, but their application was rejected. He was sent out on loan to Greek club Olympiakos to strengthen their application for when they re-apply a year later.
He spent one whole season there. Upon his return, there were still problems with his work permit so Liverpool ended up selling him to Panathinaikos. He spent four years there before moving to Italian Serie B side Catania. Now 28-years-old, he has recently returned to Lanus.
Mark Gonzalez
Like Leto, Gonzalez also had some issues with his work permit. Initially he was loaned from Albacete and despite not attaining a work permit, Rafa showed great faith by making his move a permanent one and then immediately loaned him back to Albacete. After another short loan spell at Real Sociedad, the Chilean was finally granted a work permit and was permitted to play for Liverpool.
He immediately made his mark at Anfield with a late winner in the Champions League 3rd round qualifier against Maccabi Haifa. The pacy left-winger scored two more goals for the Reds but failed to establish himself as a key player and was moved on Real Betis. He was there for two seasons until Betis got relegated. After that, he moved to Russian side CSKA Moscow where he struggled for game time. After almost five years there, Gonzalez moved back to Chile to play for Club Deportivo Universidad Católica.
Damien Plessis
Plessis was in the same youth team as Karim Bezema and Hatem Ben Arfa at Lyon. He moved to Liverpool in 2007 as a teenager and went straight into the reserves team. He made his competitive debut in April 2008 against Arsenal after which Rafa was convinced he would compete with Steven Gerrard for a space in midfield. The following season, he appeared three times scoring one goal in the league cup.
Christian Poulsen’s arrival saw him take Plessis’ number which signalled the end of his Liverpool career. In the summer of 2010, he moved to Panathinaikos. He failed to hit the ground running there and was informed by the manager that he was not part of his plans. He had a trial at Leicester City but did not impress then manager Sven Goran Eriksson. He returned to England for a loan spell with Doncaster Rovers but did not make a single appearance. After Panathinaikos released him, the France U21 international secured a move to French second-tier side Arles-Avignon in 2012. From there he moved to Swiss side Lausanne-Sport and then back to France for Chateauroux.
