The reception will be respectful. Anfield always shows its appreciation to returning stars who have previously served Liverpool with distinction.

But there will be no sense of longing among Kopites when Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho line up against Jurgen Klopp's side in the semi-final of the Champions League.

Fans will be too preoccupied paying homage to the personnel who still carry their hopes and dreams rather than dwelling on the two who turned their backs and walked away.

The Barcelona duo will find that the Reds are almost unrecognisable from the club they left behind. The bar has been raised significantly. Liverpool will compete against the Catalan giants as equals rather than plucky underdogs.

Klopp described the sub plot to an enticing tie as “the return of two Liverpool legends” but that's stretching it somewhat.

Both Suarez and Coutinho lit up Anfield during their time at Liverpool. Both gifted South American attackers produced an array of match-winning displays of majestic brilliance and left behind a host of memories.

But in breaking their bond with the Kop, they passed up the opportunity to join the club's pantheon of legends.

Greatness isn’t simply determined by natural ability. It’s about longevity, loyalty and medals.

Suarez and Coutinho didn't tick those boxes. They viewed Liverpool as a stepping stone, they were only passing through.

The better you are, the more your indiscretions are forgiven and that was certainly the case with Suarez.

The Uruguayan frontman proved himself to be a genius but a deeply flawed one with the disciplinary issues which dragged Liverpool's name through the mud.

It's often overlooked that he demanded to join Arsenal in the summer of 2013 before Steven Gerrard helped convince him to stick around for another year.

Suarez was simply sensational as he plundered 31 league goals in the unexpected title push that followed but then jumped ship to Barca after sinking his teeth into Georgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

He scored 82 goals in 133 appearances over the course of three-and-a-half years at Liverpool, and left with only a League Cup triumph to show for his efforts.

Coutinho stuck around longer. The Brazilian netted 54 times in 201 matches during his five-year stint, but didn't get his hands on any silverware.

The mystery back injury that followed being told by FSG president Mike Gordon face to face in Munich in pre-season that he was going nowhere left a sour taste. Remarkably, it cleared up once the window had shut.

Liverpool spent the following six months trying to convince him that his long-term future lay at Anfield but it was fruitless.

Coutinho was adamant that he wanted out in the winter window - despite the fact he was ineligible to play for Barca in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

It reached a point where Klopp decided that retaining his services and getting the best out of him would be impossible. It was a side show the Reds could do without.

Crucially, he left on Liverpool's terms. The £142million fee, which included £36million in add-ons, negotiated by sporting director Mike Gordon was exactly double what Barcelona had first offered for Coutinho the previous July.

It was a crazy sum of money for a player who cost Liverpool just £8.5million from Inter Milan in January 2013.

“We are big enough and strong enough to continue with our aggressive progression on the pitch,” vowed Klopp on the day that Coutinho departed.

His words proved prophetic. Fourteen months on Liverpool are in remarkable shape.

Where the £75million windfall for Suarez was largely squandered on the likes of Mario Balotelli and Lazar Markovic, the Coutinho cash was spent wisely.

The signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker have given Liverpool the defensive steel to accompany their array of dazzling firepower.

Selling Coutinho actually made Liverpool stronger. It also made them less predictable as an attacking force.

When Coutinho left for Catalonia, the Reds were preparing to take part in their first Champions League knockout tie for nine years. Now they are one step away from back-to-back finals.

You have to rewind to 1984 for the last time Liverpool were mounting such a sustained challenge for both the top-flight crown and the European Cup.

This is a club now where the world's elite talent want to put down roots. They believe they can fulfil their dreams at Anfield. They see Liverpool as a final destination and not simply a stepping stone.

Legends commit the best years of their careers to a club, legends write unforgettable chapters of success. Suarez and Coutinho didn't do that.

But Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Virgil van Dijk and co are bang on course to write their names in Anfield folklore.