1 week Ago By Robin Mumford
Jon Flanagan, once hailed as the 'Scouse Cafu' in 2014, had a promising start with Liverpool. A series of off-field troubles and severe injuries led to a drastic decline in Flanagan's career. At just 29, Flanagan retired with unfulfilled potential and a career marred by setbacks, knee injuries, and legal issues.
During the 2013/14 Premier League season, Liverpool were convinced they were finally about to end their long, agonising wait for a league title under Brendan Rodgers. With the lethal duo of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suárez leading the charge, and cult icons like Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Leiva, and Martin Skrtel filling the ranks, it was almost impossible not to get swept up in the euphoria. But, as football often reminds us, dreams can crumble just as quickly as they’re built.
A late-season collapse against Chelsea and Crystal Palace meant the Reds' parade was put on hold a little longer. However, among the innumerable highlights of an outstanding campaign for Liverpool was the sudden rise to prominence of young local lad Jon Flanagan . At just 20 years old, the homegrown full-back was Liverpool’s early-to-mid-2010s answer to Trent Alexander-Arnold - an academy talent seemingly destined for greatness and who wore the Liverbird with as much pride as his glorious Scouse predecessors.
However, like so many in that final squad of the Rodgers era, his promise faded as quickly as it appeared, and the hype around his name barely outlasted his lone England cap. GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at ten of the most forgettable players to have earned an England cap. Jon Flanagan Was Coined The 'Scouse Cafu' in 2014 It all started when Flanagan plundered a volley in off the crossbar against Tottenham during the Reds' 5-0 battering at White Hart Lane (see his goal below) .
Nobody likes to let their praise for another player be heard louder than the travelling Spion Kop, and sure enough, his hasty nickname 'Scouse Cafu' quickly landed in the lap of the man himself. It was not long before the former AC Milan and Roma star was considering a journey to Anfield to watch the No.38 at close quarters.
And that dream became a reality on the final weekend of the season, when Cafu travelled to the city, meeting his namesake and taking a seat in the stands to see the Reds overcome Newcastle United. "I first started hearing about him by watching Premier League matches and observing his performance along with other players," said the 43-year-old, as per the official Liverpool website . "I then started seeing some news saying he was 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." Flanagan joined Liverpool in 2010 as a 17-year-old. After progressing through the youth levels, he made his Premier League debut under Kenny Dalglish in the 2010/11 season.
"The young boy is not bad," the club's greatest-ever player said about the left-back, but eight years and 51 appearances later, the wheels of his Liverpool career went wildly off track, and he was never able to replicate his Brazilian idol. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: In 142 Brazil caps, Cafu reached the World Cup final three times in a row between 1994 and 2002, winning it twice. Ronaldo, Pele, Ronaldinho, Neymar and Kaka all feature as the greatest Brazilian players ever are ranked.
What Happened to Jon Flanagan? On 4 June 2014, Flanagan made his England senior debut, replacing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the second half of a friendly against Ecuador in the United States. Then, on 20 March 2016, Jon Flanagan had the honour of captaining Liverpool in a Premier League clash against Southampton. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, his career soon took a nosedive, and he never achieved either of those feats ever again.
By 5 August 2016 - just months into Jurgen Klopp’s first summer in charge - Liverpool announced that Flanagan had been sent on a season-long loan to Burnley, a move that signalled his rapid fall from grace after making 51 appearances for his boyhood club. By January 2018, Flanagan found himself at Bolton Wanderers on another short-term loan, but off-field issues overshadowed his footballing struggles. That same month, he was sentenced for assaulting his girlfriend, receiving 40 hours of unpaid work and a community order.
It was a turning point - not the kind he had envisioned - and by the summer, his Liverpool journey was over. Jon Flanagan's Career Statistics Years Club Games 2010-2018 Liverpool 51 2016-2017 Burnley (loan) 10 2018 Bolton Wanderers (loan) 9 2018-2020 Rangers 39 2020-2021 Charleroi 0 2021-2022 HB Koge 4 Seeking a fresh start, he reunited with former captain Steven Gerrard at Rangers in July 2018. Over two seasons, he made 39 appearances for the Scottish side before moving to Belgian outfit Charleroi in 2020.
However, his time there was a non-starter - literally. A recurring knee injury kept him sidelined for the entire season, and his hopes of revival faded further after a final attempt to resurrect his career under another ex-teammate, Daniel Agger, at Danish club HB Koge. Having undergone knee surgery 14 months prior, Flanagan fought to regain fitness but ultimately lost the battle.
In 2022, at just 29 years old, he hung up his boots for the final time - his once-promising career having crumbled under the weight of injuries and helped along its way by off-field troubles that sped up his demise. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 03/04/2025).
