Forgotten Liverpool hero of 2013/14 suffers horrendous setback

When Liverpool came within a whisker of ending their English title drought in 2013/14, plenty of big-name players were ready to soak up the inevitable praise, but then, the infamous meltdown occurred.

Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and of course, Steven Gerrard, saw their dreams go up in smoke as Manchester City gratefully accepted an invitation they probably thought had been lost in the post forever when they left Anfield defeated.

However, one player who can easily be forgotten in that Liverpool side is home-grown full-back Jon Flanagan, who broke into the team in November and never looked back.

Unfortunately for Flanagan, his highly-promising career was stopped its tracks on the club’s 2014/15 pre-season tour, where a nasty knee injury requiring surgery placed his entire campaign in jeopardy.

Worst fears were confirmed. Even more agonisingly for Flanagan, who was on the cusp of a late season return, a fresh problem with his knee – once again requiring the knife – looks set to keep him out for a further six to nine months.

Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan is set to miss a further 6-9 months after undergoing another knee surgery. pic.twitter.com/4kzZCZEGu4

— Football__Tweet (@Football__Tweet) April 30, 2015

Brendan Rodgers has often complained this season that the side he has been putting out this term is much altered by events beyond his control, from that which he went so close to gaining Kop immortality with last season.

Again, minds immediately turn to the ‘SAS’ but many people will have almost entirely forgotten what a vital cog Flanagan was.

His versatility and technical ability meant he was able to cover both full-back positions very effectively.

This news also casts new light on the contract situation of Glen Johnson, who is supposedly about to leave the club as he is unhappy with the fresh deal he’s been offered.

Rodgers and the money men may have to reconsider allowing this to happen, while reinforcing the right-back position is now one of the top priorities at Anfield this summer.

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