What happened to Roy Hodgson’s 8 Liverpool signings? MLS star, TV analyst and UCL winner

When Rafael Benitez left Liverpool with Roy Hodgson announced as his replacement, the club was surrounded by cautious optimism.

Hodgson was a year removed from leading Fulham to an incredible 7th place in the Premier League, joining Liverpool with 34 years of head coaching experience. While there were many, many naysayers, it would be fair to say that fans were excited about a new direction within the club… but that soon faded.

Quite quickly into his tenure, it was apparent that Hodgson was not the man for Liverpool – who needed to rebuild their roster after losing the likes of Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres in 18 months.

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That rebuild, unfortunately, went nowhere in his first year in 2010 – with Hodgson’s signings almost exclusively flopping and subsequently seeing him sacked midway through his first season.

From lower, Liverpool.com took a look at each of Hodgson’s eight signings, how they fared in Red and their next moves after leaving the club.

Jonjo Shelvey

Hodgson’s first official signing may not have actually been one he got too involved with, with Liverpool saying they had agreed a fee with Charlton Athletic to acquire the 18-year-old ahead of his arrival. Shelvey played cameo roles in each of his first two seasons at Anfield before making 30 appearances in his final season – scoring twice against Young Boys in the Europa League. But unfortunately for him, his most memorable moment might just be his sending off against Manchester United at Anfield.

Shelvey was sold to Swansea City for $6 million after his third season with the Reds, where he stayed for three years before spending seven years with Newcastle United. He now plays for Caykur Rizespor in Turkey

Milan Jovanovic

You wouldn’t have found many who knew who Milan Jovanovic was when he was linked with Liverpool, signing as a free transfer from Standard Liege. An impressive World Cup in 2010 saw fans get slightly excited about his arrival – seeing him as an option to use off the bench with his direct approach and powerful left foot.

Immediately after signing, Jovanovic impressed in pre-season and would start the opener against Arsenal before losing his place to Maxi Rodriguez after just a few games, with the Serbian looking too slow for the Premier League. He made just 10 league appearances before returning to the Belgian league the following season – retiring just two years later.

Danny Wilson

Signed from Rangers for a modest fee of $2.5 million, Wilson was seen as a prospect who needed time to develop but could be a long-term successor to Jamie Carragher. But he was never able to break into the first team, even struggling during loan spells in the EFL with Bristol City and Blackpool.

He later signed for Hearts where he impressed and returned to Rangers for three seasons before moving to the United States – where he spent five years of his career with the Colorado Rapids.

Joe Cole

Cole was seen as Hodgson’s first official signing and was one that excited many Liverpool fans. He has been tipped to feature alongside Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres as a link man between midfield and attack. Like Jovanovic, Cole has impressed in the pre-season, causing many fans to be excited to start the season.

But after a red card in his first game, Cole continued to struggle with injury which saw him miss large chunks before falling out of favor after Hodgson was replaced by Dalglish. Cole was loaned out to Lille before returning to West Ham and later spent time with Coventry City. Cole spent the last two years playing in the USL Championship with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Cole is now a pundit for TNT Sports and Channel 4 in the UK.

Christian Poulsen

Another signature that had raised eyebrows. Liverpool needed a defensive midfielder to replace Javier Mascherano – they eventually settled on Poulsen. The 30-year-old has been a rotational player for Juventus, where he has largely struggled without making much of an impact at the World Cup.

He lasted just 12 games at Liverpool before being sold to Evian after struggling to hold down a place with the Reds, being eclipsed by Lucas Leiva. Poulsen only played three more years, moving to Ajax before retiring with Copenhagen.

Brad Jones

A back-up goalkeeper throughout his career at Middlesbrough, Jones’ move to Liverpool was another surprise – with him arriving in competition for Pepe Reina. Jones was mainly used in cup games during his time with Liverpool but has had his moment in the Premier League. Jones saved a Yakubu penalty just days after he and his wife tragically lost their son.

Jones stayed with the Reds for four years before leaving for Bradford City, eventually having spells in Holland and Saudi Arabia before returning to Australia. He retired last year.

Raul Meireles

Meireles was arguably Roy Hodgson’s most exciting signing, seen as a player who would suit Steven Gerrard in midfield. Meireles has been a first-choice option all season, scoring an incredible goal away at Wolves in his prime.

Meireles left Liverpool in somewhat controversial fashion, asking for his transfer after Chelsea declared their interest in 2011. He would only be used sparingly for the Blues, but was part of the squad to win the Champions League after they beat Bayern Munich. Meireles left Chelsea after that season, spending the last three seasons of his career with Fenerbahce

Paul Konchesky

Liverpool have long needed a left-back, with several players being used in the role over the past five years – although none have been able to consistently complete the starting role. When the Reds signed Paul Konchesky, no one really saw the change coming.

Konchesky was with Hodgson at Fulham as a reliable but limited left-back. After starting the first 12 games, Konchesky lost his place to Fabio Aurelio and was loaned to Nottingham Forest. He was sold to Leicester City the following summer, where he spent five years before spending a few years in the non-league.