THE great Anfield fire sale looks set to happen this summer, with a number of squad players set to be offloaded.

David Ngog, it seems, is to be the first victim. The Frenchman has been allowed to speak with Sunderland, and should complete his move once he returns from holiday.

And whilst few Reds will be distraught at the young striker’s exit, it is worth considering that Ngog performed an admirable role during what will be remembered as a largely turbulent era in Liverpool’s history.

His record of 19 goals in 94 games looks, ostensibly, decidedly modest. Yet it should be noted that of those 94 games, only 41 were starts.

Add to that the fact that, more often than not, his job was to step into the boots vacated by the often-fantastic but often-fragile Fernando Torres, and to lead the line alone, and his record is placed into far sharper perspective.

If Ngog leaves, and it appears that he will, he should be remembered for what he is. Not a flop, just a £1.5m striker who worked his socks off for Liverpool, and improved his value enough for the club to make a good profit on his sale.