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Liverpool were once at the masters of English football, winning the top-flight league an astonishing 11 times in under two decades. The club's stranglehold on the top division ended in 1990.
It would take another three decades for them to win their first Premier League (that replaced the old first division) under Jurgen Klopp. Brendan Rodgers and Rafael Benitez - both world-class managers - came very close to breaking the jinx earlier, but it was not to be.
Although Klopp nearly achieved success with the team Rodgers had left behind, it was ultimately the German's foray into the transfer market that initiated the club's evolution. It took Jurgen Klopp 5 years to build a title-challenging team, and they won the English Premier League in 2020 while breaking records along the way.
While earlier Liverpool sides had achieved some success in cup competitions with legends like Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano, it was Klopp's side that brought the club back to its former glory, winning the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the Premier League within two years.
So without further ado, let's take a look at Liverpool's all-time Premier League XI, with nearly half the team acquiring legendary status in the last six years.
GK: Alisson Becker
After losing out on the Champions League title due to two horrendous mistakes from former No. 1 goalkeeper Loris Karius, Jurgen Klopp brought in Alisson Becker for an astonishing €72.5 million (the highest ever fee paid for a goalkeeper at the time). Expectations were high about the Brazilian international, especially because of his transfer fee, and Alisson lived up to them.
In his debut season, he won the Premier League Golden Glove after keeping 21 clean sheets. The club advanced to the final of the Champions League again, and this time, Alisson was on hand to ensure a clean sheet for Liverpool who beat Tottenham 2-0.
Yes, Alisson won the Champions League in his debut season. He also won the Premier League in his second season, and picked up a clean sheet at the FIFA Club World Cup final to hand Liverpool yet another trophy. Notably, Alisson scored a dramatic winner last season for Liverpool in the Premier League, heading in a goal from a well-taken corner.
The star goalkeeper has already acquired legendary status in the red half of Merseyside, taking over the number one spot on this list from Pepe Reina. He is currently rated, perhaps after Manuel Neuer, the best goalkeeper in the world.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Yes, there are other right-backs who did a brilliant job in their day for Liverpool, especially Glen Johnson and Markus Babbel. However, it is the young 22-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold who takes the all-time position after his meteoric rise.
His growth at Liverpool's academy, from a skinny midfielder to a world-class right-back, has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has spent 12 years as a youth at Merseyside, the current England international is Liverpool born and bred; and familiar to life at Anfield. Making his senior debut in 2016, he has since built a name for himself, picking up a Champions League, a Balon d'Or nomination, and a Premier League title before turning 21.
Noted for his perfect deliveries from set-pieces and crosses, the young star quickly shone in style. 33 assists from 129 Premier League appearances from any right-back is pure brilliance, and that's what Alexander-Arnold has already achieved. With his midfielder-like vision and creative playmaking style from the right wing, there's really no stopping the Scouser.
CB: Jamie Carragher
So far, no player has made more Premier League appearances for Liverpool than Jamie Carragher. Now a successful television pundit, the former England international started his youth career at Anfield, making a record 508 EPL appearances for the club.
Spending 25 years at the club from youth to retirement, Carragher was deemed irreplaceable by many Liverpool loyals. That is until Virgil van Dijk, of course. Through the course of his career at the club, the longtime Scouser picked up 11 major trophies and also played a part in building the next generation of Liverpool players.
A Champions League winner in 2005, Carragher established himself as one of Europe's top defenders during his time, and he remained an important part of Liverpool's first team until his retirement in 2013.
CB: Virgil van Dijk
Jurgen Klopp's decision to splash the cash on the Dutch international proved to be one of the best transfer market deals in Liverpool's history. Coming from Southampton for a transfer fee of £75 million, Virgil van Dijk's presence at Anfield improved Klopp's side dramatically.
Van Dijk was an instant success with the fans on his debut when he scored the winning goal against longtime rivals Everton. But it wasn't a one-hit wonder situation. The commanding center-back would go on to lead Liverpool to glory, both in the Premier League and in the Champions League.
The Dutchman is the clear leader of Liverpool's defence. His composure on the ball, dominance in the air, physical strength and passing skill make van Dijk a threat to any opposing team. Notably, he came second in the Ballon d'Or in 2019, which proves just how brilliant he has been for Liverpool.
He's just signed a new contract to remain at Anfield for the foreseeable future, and that certainly is amazing news for the Kop.
LB: Andy Robertson
Very few people expected fireworks from Andy Robertson when he left relegated Hull City for Anfield in 2017 for a fee of £8 million. No one predicted that the left-back would go on to become a Champions League winner and a Premier League winner within 3 years, but that's exactly what happened.
Robertson got some playing time as backup to former Livepool left-back Alberto Moreno, but he got his chance to play often after Moreno got injured and he impressed Klopp enough to take over the position. The rest, they say, is history. A brilliant 39 assists in 189 Premier League games so far is how the Scot has repaid his manager's faith in him.
With Alexander-Arnold on the opposite side, the duo have achieved wing-back stardom, wowing fans with their creativity, speed and delivery in the final third. His attractive link-up with Sadio Mane on the left-flank remains a sight to behold, and he is arguably, in Phil Neville's words, the best left-back in the world.
CM: Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is, unquestionably, the greatest Liverpool player and captain of his generation. Throughout his 17-year spell at Anfield, the current Rangers manager was the key in the heart of Liverpool's midfield.
Gerrard, who made 504 Premier League appearances for the Reds, had a brilliant knack for finding the net from distance. Premier League goalkeepers of the day were on guard every time Gerrard received the ball outside the box, and with good reason too: Of the 120 Premier League goals he scored for Chelsea, a remarkable 33 came from beyond the 18-yard box.
The legendary midfielder helped Liverpool to 9 trophies during his time at the club, including a Champions League and two FA Cups. His brilliant linkups with fellow midfielders Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano would be sung about by the fans as the "best midfield in the world".
CM: Xabi Alonso
Coming in from Real Sociedad as part of Rafa Benitez's revolution of the squad, Xabi Alonso won European glory in his debut season in 2005.
Liverpool fans loved the Spaniard's accurate long passes and his remarkable creativity and vision. The Reds were seemingly unstoppable throughout his time at Anfield. Steven Gerrard claimed that Alonso was the best midfielder he has ever played alongside, and the fans will certainly agree.
Although he eventually fell out with Benitez and moved to Real Madrid, Alonso won the FA Cup, the Champions League, the Community Shield, and the UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool before his exit.
DM - Javier Mascherano
Vicious in tackle, with a high capacity for chasing down the ball and ruthlessly hounding opponents, El Jefecito was a brilliant defensive midfielder for Liverpool. His work alongside Xabi Alonso and the more attacking-minded Steven Gerrard was a joy to behold at Anfield. However, like Alonso, Javier Mascherano was another player who left Merseyside for a top La Liga club. While Alonso moved to Real Madrid, Mascherano made the switch to Barcelona where he joined Argentine compatriot Lionel Messi.
Constantly getting into trouble for ill-disciplined tackles, Mascherano was feared by Liverpool's opponents back in the day. His smaller stature allowed him a lot of pace to mark his man successfully, while his passing accuracy and high work rate allowed him to recycle possession for the team and chase down any loose balls in the middle third.
LW: Sadio Mane
Like Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane was brought to Anfield by Klopp after a scintillating season with Southampton. Mane got to Liverpool and flourished immediately, scoring on his debut and establishing himself as one of the best attackers in the world.
So far, the Senegalese speedster has provided 131 direct goal contributions in just 229 games, an astonishing feat that has clearly played an important part in Liverpool's recent Premier League title win. Notably, Mane was Klopp's first transfer for the Reds, and it has been worth every penny so far.
Alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane has formed one of the most potent attacking trios in world football today. The three have scored a combined 258 Premier League goals so far, and they look set to continue achieving more in the coming years.
ST: Luis Suarez
Fans of Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Roberto Firmino and Robbie Fowler might be angered by this choice, and it was a difficult choice to make. Some strikers may have stayed longer and scored more goals, while others certainly had less controversial incidents in their entire careers. But none of them was the profound attacking genius that was Luis Suarez at Liverpool.
In only three seasons spent at Merseyside before his transfer to Barcelona in 2014, Suarez was the epitome of magic, putting fear in the hearts of every opponent he faced in the Premier League. In fact, Suárez was the first Liverpool player to score 20 or more goals in successive Premier League seasons since Robbie Fowler in 1995. He also broke Fowler's record of 28 goals in a Premier League season, and he became the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to score 30 league goals in a season.
82 spectacular goals in 133 appearances is an astonishing feat, even for world-class strikers, and it didn't come as a shock when Barcelona came rushing for the Uraguayan in 2014. No Liverpool fan can ever forget the bites, the controversies, and the goals that made Luis Suarez a legend at Anfield.
RW: Mohamed Salah
His first season at Anfield can be perfectly described as the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, honestly. His second season, shockingly, was just as beautiful and just as sublime. His third season saw him fire Liverpool to win the Premier League with seven games to go.
This is Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.
Scoring 44 goals in all competitions was a shocker for Liverpool fans. They couldn't possibly have fathomed it. Yet that is what Salah did. He picked up the Golden Boot yet again in his second season and also won the Champions League to boot. Salah is also the fastest Liverpool player to score 50 goals for the club, a feat he achieved in just 69 games!
Mohamed Salah's reign over Liverpool's right wing is set to be talked about for decades after he retires. And that reign is set to last for a few more years to come.
