Ex-Liverpool starlet Cafu visited now without a club after flopping in Denmark

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    Former Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan once earned a visit from legendary Brazil defender Cafu.

    The Liverpudlian was one of the breakout stars during that extraordinary season in 2013/14 when Brendan Rodgers’ side were so close to winning the Premier League. Unfortunately, a terrible combination of injuries, horrible luck and off field issues resulted in the Liverpool academy graduate dropping out of contention for the Reds and out of the Premier League altogether.

    Loan spells at Burnley and Bolton Wanderers did little for his Liverpool chances and he eventually left the Merseysiders for Rangers on a free transfer in 2018. But after a difficult spell in Scotland resulted in subsequent moves to RSC Charleroi in Belgium and Danish side HB Koge, Flanagan currently finds himself in the wilderness.

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    Flanagan departed Denmark last summer and is now a free agent after a torrid time in Denmark. He only made four appearances across all competitions for the Danes, as injuries and low confidence seeped into the now 29-year-old.

    Nobody could have imagined the League Cup winner finding himself in this position ten years ago. Flanagan was beginning to make a name for himself in the youth teams, before he would eventually entrench himself with Rodgers’ back four in the 2013/14 campaign.

    His electric performances up and down the Liverpool right side gained him the nickname of ‘the scouse Cafu’. Incredibly, the performances were so consistently brilliant, that the World Cup winner wanted to see his Liverpudlian namesake for himself.

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    "I first started hearing about him by watching Premier League matches and observing his performance along with other players," Cafu said to LFCTV in 2014. "I then started seeing some news saying ‘he is the Red Cafu!’ So there's nothing better than coming to the city and taking a picture with my successor.

    “He is a good player; still young and developing, but already gaining recognition at Liverpool and he might even have an opportunity with the English national team. He'll be a great English player in the future.He has speed, strength and determination.

    “He's an athlete who goes after it and never gives it up. That's exactly what I used to do; there were no missing chances for me, no tiredness and no being dejected. I see that style in him too. I hope he continues that way and achieves as many trophies as I did."

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