As Liverpool prepare for the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris, it’s safe to say the season couldn’t have gone much better for them. With a domestic double already clinched, the Reds will be looking to make it a cup treble against the La Liga giants, having fallen just a point short of Man City in their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple.
Whatever the outcome on Saturday, it has been an historic season for Jurgen Klopp ’s side. And what makes their efforts even more memorable are the fact that little over a year ago, having seen season-ending defensive injuries derail their Premier League title defence, they were staring down the possibility of failing to qualify for the Champions League altogether.
Nat Phillips was central to that revival. Eighth in the table after 28 matches, Liverpool went unbeaten for their final 10 games of the season, winning all eight that the defender started, to finish the season in what had previously looked an unlikely third.
