Injuries, sporadic form, an unsettled Mo Salah, and an ill-judged lurch towards the already defunct European Super League, has all meant that the 20/21 season has been one to forget for Liverpool fans.
Thankfully, there is Euro 2020 to look forward to as the European Championships were pushed back twelve months.
Here we take a look at the players in the Liverpool squad who will be champing at the bit to show they still have what it takes to operate at the game’s elite level, as they vie for new contracts and to catch the eye of Jürgen Klopp.
After a disappointing domestic season Liverpool’s European stars will be looking to prove a point at Euro 2020
Trent Alexander-Arnold – England
There has been much talk among betting tipsters and media pundits this season about the below par performances of Liverpool’s fullbacks, but the Kop know that Trent Alexander-Arnold is still one of the best in the business.
As well as propelling the Reds to Premier League and Champions League glory, TAA has also been an inspiration for his country, playing a key role during the qualifying campaign that got them to finals in the first place. His form has picked up in the final weeks of the Premier League season and with him taking to the field alongside the likes of Walker, Stones, and Maguire, we’d suggest visiting OLBG’s guide to the best betting offers on England for Euro 2020, because the Three Lions have the solid defensive foundations from which to mount a serious assault on Portugal’s European Championship crown.
Diogo Jota’s boys shocked the world by winning the European Championship in 2016 and the Portuguese could be even better this time around
Diogo Jota – Portugal
This Portuguese hotshot started life at Anfield with a bang, firing in goals from all angles before his season was cruelly cut short by injury.
He has now made a welcome return to the first team, and his prolonged layoff may be beneficial to the Portuguese national side, who will no doubt get Jota’s best form just as he returns to tip-top condition.
Playing alongside teammates such as Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, if the Portuguese can make it out of the group of death (Group F) then they must be considered serious contenders to retain their European Championship crown. Liverpool fans will just be hoping that he remains fit in the process.
Andy Robertson – Scotland
There are few players in the world who manage to deliver consistently outstanding performances both for club and country, but Andy Robertson is one of them, not only marauding up the wing for Liverpool but also leading by example as the captain of Scotland.
The Scot will have been as frustrated as anyone by Liverpool’s form this season and may channel that frustration at Euro 2020, where the opportunity to upstage his English Premier League counterparts in Group D is a possibility too great to pass up.
There is also the fact that Scotland will play two of their group games on home turf and could even embarrass the English further if they dump them out of the group and then go on to play further knock out phases at Wembley.
Georginio Wijnaldum – The Netherlands
Wijnaldum has always been touted as an extraordinary talent, who Klopp has been reluctant to release for fear of him hitting top form for a major rival.
That said, the Dutch striker will want to put himself in the shop window this summer, especially as clubs as big as Barcelona are reported to be tracking his progress.
The Dutch have a relatively soft path to the knockout stages as Group C only consists of Austria, North Macedonia, and Ukraine, meaning Wijnaldum could boost his resume with a hat full of goals. Reds fans will be hoping he can bring that form back to Anfield and remain on Merseyside for another season – but it’s basically confirmed he’s leaving.
Xherdan Shaqiri – Switzerland
Shaq has found first-team game time tough to come by this season with the arrival of Jota and Thiago bumping him down the pecking order.
However, this diminutive trickster never seems to let setbacks such as this get to him and often reserves his best performances for when he teams up with Granit Xhaka for the Swiss national side.
Although Italy will be big favourites to top Group A, especially seeing as they will play most of their games in Rome, the Swiss will be hoping they can oust Wales and Turkey to nab second spot in the group.
Who gives a shit? Rather see them have a proper summer break and get their heads and bodies in the right place for next season.