5 Greatest Liverpool footballers of all time

Liverpool FC, founded in 1892, are one of the greatest football clubs in the world and also the most successful English club of all time. They have won the European Cup five times and the English League 18 times.

Liverpool were the best club side in the world in the late 1970s and early 1980s and won the European Cup thrice in six years from 1978 to 1984. They also won the English league quite a few times in the 1980s. They also managed to win their 5th European crown in 2005 by beating AC Milan in a thrilling match in Istanbul.

However, they have not been able to win the English League since 1990 and would hope to break the jinx this time around. They are at the top of the league table after 22 matches and remain the favorites to win their 19th league title.

“You will never walk alone” is the chant that reverberates through Liverpool’s home ground Anfield during most of their home matches. Liverpool are also commonly known as “the Reds”. They have had some legendary players playing for them throughout the decades. We would now take a look at their 5 greatest players of all time.

#5 Jamie Carragher

Carragher remains a benchmark of excellence and longevity among the English defenders. He was signed by Liverpool in 1996 and continued playing for them till 2013. He was among the best defenders in the world in his prime. Carragher also played for the English national team for more than a decade.

Carragher was a center-back primarily, but could also play as a right-back. He formed a great defensive partnership with Finland's Sami Hyypia. Hyypia was very strong in the air and a great man-marker, but Carragher had better distribution skills, was a clean tackler and could sweep the ball out very well.

Carragher played for Liverpool in 737 matches and scored 5 goals for them. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and two FA Cups with them. He was also selected in Premier League’s team of the year for the 2005-06 season.

#4 Graeme Souness

Souness is one of the best Scottish footballers of all time. He also remains one of the best to have played for Liverpool. He was a tough footballer who could play both as a defensive midfielder and a box-to-box one. He was known for his hard tackles and leadership on the pitch.

Souness was signed by Liverpool in 1978 and played for them till 1984. He also became their captain in 1981. Souness was instrumental in making Liverpool the strongest club in the world in the 1980s and won 3 European Cups and 5 League titles with them. He also scored 56 goals in 358 matches for them and provided the assist for the match-winning goal in the 1978 European Cup final.

Souness was one of the midfield generals who used to inspire his teammates with his performances. He was also known for his no-nonsense approach on the pitch and remained a great performer throughout his career. He retired in 1991 and was selected in Premier League’s team of the century in 2007.

#3 Steven Gerrard

Gerrard is one of the most famous one-club footballers of Europe and played for Liverpool for 18 successive seasons. He joined them in 1998 and went on to play for them till 2015. He was also a great performer for the English national team for more than a decade. He was a very versatile player who could play in a number of positions.

Gerrard was primarily a box-to-box midfielder but could play in a purely defensive role as well. He also played as a second striker at times and scored a lot of goals with his powerful shots. His stunner against West Ham United in the FA Cup final in 2006 is still etched in the memories of football lovers.

Gerrard captained Liverpool for a long time and was revered by most of his teammates and opponents. He scored 186 goals in 710 matches for the Reds and also won 1 UEFA Champions League and 2 FA Cups with them. He also won the 3rd prize in Ballon d’Or 2005. He was given an emotional farewell by the teary-eyed supporters in his last match for Liverpool in 2015.

#2 Ian Rush

Rush was one of the greatest strikers in the world in his prime. He also remains one of the greatest players to have played for Liverpool. He joined the Reds in 1980 and continued playing for them till 1986. He then joined Juventus and played there for a season. He came back to Liverpool in 1987 and continued playing for them till 1996.

Rush probably scored the most important goal of his career against Everton in the FA Cup final in 1986. He also won the European Golden Boot in 1984. Rush had a knack of scoring important goals and performing well in big matches. He was also very good in the air and extremely quick inside the opposition penalty box.

Rush remains the highest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history with 346 goals for them. He also won 2 European Cups and 5 English First Division league titles for Liverpool. He retired in 1996 and was chosen in PFA’s team of the century in 2007.

#1 Sir Kenny Dalglish

Dalglish is the greatest footballer ever born in Scotland. He also remains Liverpool's greatest footballer of all time. He was a brilliant forward who won a lot of matches for the Reds with his scintillating performances. He was fondly called “King Kenny” by the Liverpool supporters.

Dalglish joined Liverpool from Celtic in 1977 and continued playing for them till 1990. He was also their captain for a long period of time. Dalglish was a brilliant passer and dribbler and used to create a lot of moves with his enviable skills.

He was among the best midfielders in Europe in his prime and also remained a talismanic player for Liverpool. He scored the match-winner for Liverpool in the 1977-78 European Cup final. He also finished runner-up in Ballon d’Or 1983.

Dalglish won 3 European Cups and 6 English First Division titles for Liverpool. He also scored 169 goals from 502 matches for them. He retired in 1990 and was selected as one of the 100 greatest footballers of all time by FIFA in 2004.