Liverpool made a club-record acquisition of the world’s top young player.

The list of FourFourTwo’s Top 100 Young stars of 2001 included some Liverpool stars, although it has not held up well over time.

During the Premier League era, Liverpool’s academy has produced some fantastic players.

In the 1990s, players like Dominic Matteo and David Thompson made their debuts, and others like Steven McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, and Steven Gerrard went on to become legendary Reds stars.

After graduating from the Academy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Caoimhin Kelleher are now essential components of Jurgen Klopp’s first team squad, while others like Harvey Elliot and Stefan Bajcetic were recruited for the young ranks when they were in their mid-teens.

Ben Doak, Bobby Clark, Conor Bradley, and Jarell Quansah are just a few of the players that are vying to be the following players to make a significant move to the first team, and the Academy conveyor belt is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Reds’ academy, meanwhile, hasn’t always been the “gold mine” that it is now. It was frequently lamented that Gerrard was the final graduate to earn a spot in the first team throughout the 2000s.

Onlookers were perplexed by Liverpool’s failure to discover the next Gerrard, Owen, or Carragher in light of how productive the 1990s had been, especially when compared to Manchester United’s class of ’92. Before the Reds fully got back on track under Klopp, it ultimately took numerous changes behind the scenes, led by people like Rafa Benitez and Brendan Rodgers.

However, that didn’t stop Liverpool from having a number of highly regarded young players who ultimately fell short of expectations during their unsuccessful run. This is amply illustrated by FourFourTwo’s selection of the top 100 players in world football in 2001.

Six Reds players were listed, with two ranking in the top 10 and all placing in the top 40. The top five would consist of three future Liverpool players, bringing their total number of contingent members to 10. However, one of those can now confidently assert to have been among the top stars of their generation.

The list includes some of the top players of the twenty-first century. But you get an idea of where we’re going when you consider that Kaka, the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner, who won the World Cup and the Champions League during his brilliant playing career, finished only 95th.

Kaka, congratulations! You were ranked higher in 2001 than Benjamin Auer, David Prutton, Erdal Kilicaslan, Daniyel Cimen, and Alexander Hleb! Don’t worry; neither of us can remember that latter trio. Sadly, Shaun Maloney and Kieran Richardson, who finished in positions 100 and 91, both finished ahead of the illustrious Brazilian.

We have our first future Liverpool player as we enter the 1980s. Ronald Calliste. Next, he played for Manchester United, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 2003. However, in 2005, he switched teams to join the Reds, where he led the reserve team in goals scored in the following season.

On the recommendation of national team manager John Toshack, the Welshman signed for Scunthorpe United after just one season, but in his first preseason, he severely dislocated his ankle. He was forced to leave the game due to his injuries, which meant he would never reach his early promise.

As we move down the list, you can see the well-known names like Cherno Samba from Championship Manager, Dimitar Berbatov, and Michael Essien, who are all listed at 78, 82, and 71, respectively.