Liverpool remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple with arguably their strongest ever squad, but one player would have made it complete, according to Didi Hamann.
The Reds claimed the first major silverware of the season on Sunday after overcoming Chelsea in a dramatic Carabao Cup Final penalty shoot-out, which keeps their hopes of lifting all four trophies they are contesting for this season alive.
Their hopes of achieving the improbable have been strengthened by Jurgen Klopp building a squad with depth from back to front, but ex-midfielder Hamann, who won nine trophies with the Reds including the Champions League, believes that if Gini Wijnaldum had stayed at Anfield instead of moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Liverpool's squad would be impeccable.
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Speaking exclusively to Genting Casino, Hamann said: "For me, this is one of the best teams in history, not only for Liverpool, but in English history.
"The only thing that’s probably missing this season is Wijnaldum. He hasn’t been replaced. He didn’t play every week, but when he did play he so often scored goals.
"And that’s probably the type of player, the only type of player that is missing because Keita hasn’t really done it, Oxlade Chamberlain hasn’t really done it, Thiago has been very injury prone, when he comes on he does the job but for me that’s not enough.
"For the time he’s been there, it hasn’t been enough and a Wijnaldum-like player is the only thing that’s missing to make the team impeccable."
The strengthening of Liverpool's squad has been aided by the successful rise of academy talents like Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher and Tyler Morton and the acquisition of promising youngster Harvey Elliot.
But although Hamann believes it is helpful to have a British core, the former German international thinks that overseas players have bought into what it means to represent the club.
He said: "It’s a good bonus when they’re English, but I don’t think it’s essential they’re English – look at (Virgil) van Dijk, he’s been there a few years, the fans think he’s one of their own, and he probably thinks the same – I think that’s the most important thing.
"Look at Sadio Mane, they all want to be there. There’s always talk that (Mohamed) Salah might leave, or might not. But you feel that they’ve bought into that city, into that club because I think you have to understand the people to be successful in Liverpool."
Hamann places more importance on work ethic over geography and praised the desire of the team.
He added: "To me, whether they’re English, African, or wherever they’re from, I see a team every week that gives everything and doesn’t want the fans to go home disappointed.
"They leave everything out there, everything they’ve got. If the other team is better they are better, but I think that’s the most important thing.
"Then you talk about that spine. Becker, Van Dijk, Fabinho and then you can name either Sadio or Jota, or any of the other two lads on the wing.
"If you’ve got a solid base it makes it a lot easier for the forward players to excel, and a lot easier for them to take a chance. They know even if they lose a ball these guys will hoover up and nothing will happen."
