Liverpool Legends: Top 10 Greatest Liverpool Footballers Ever

Liverpool ranks in the top tier of football, when it comes to producing legends. A club with a huge legacy and a philosophy that has been incorporated among the fanbase over the years. The Reds have been home to famous Liverpool legends like Sir Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Bill Shankly, and Bob Paisley. Liverpool FC, in recent times, changed their approach to data-oriented scouting, something which was already in place before Klopp arrived, but reached its zenith during his presence.

However, despite currently being the home to some of the current best Liverpool players, the Merseyside club have always maintained this legacy of signing the best footballers or nurturing them from a very young age, recent examples being Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. If we look at the best Liverpool players of all time, legends like Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush lead the charts. In this article, we will discuss the greatest Liverpool players in the entire existence of the club.

Best Liverpool Players of all Time: Top 10 List

The greatest Liverpool players have dominated the European scene over the generations. It was tough to compile a list of the best Liverpool player of all time, as we had to exclude some top influential names who have impacted the club heavily. However, those who made it to the list are surely a part of the club’s great history too, making them one of the most successful English clubs, and they deserve a different kind of recognition.

Who are the Greatest Liverpool Players Ever?

This list has the 10 liverpool legend who have mesmerised Anfield Stadium time and again with their magic. Hence, without further delay, let’s get to know a bit about each club icon and discuss their term in brief.

10. Kevin Keegan (England)

Kevin Keegan had joined Liverpool as a 20-year-old back in 1971, during the Bill Shankly era, and scored 12 minutes into his first match for the club. Later, he spent six seasons at Anfield, while scoring over 100 goals, a feat which helped him achieve legend status and also emerge as an icon in the #7 shirt. In fact, the English forward is also counted among the most famous Jersey 7 players of all time.

In 1977, the Liverpool legend left for Hamburg in Germany and went on to win two Ballon d’Or accolades with them. Notably, Keegan was the last Englishman of that century to achieve this major individual accolade, before another Liverpool icon, Michael Owen, won the award in 2001 while being a Liverpool player. He had won 3 League titles and a European title with the Reds.

9. Graeme Souness (Scotland)

The Scottish icon Graeme Souness is widely hailed as one of the best central defensive midfielders of all time. He joined the Reds from Middlesbrough in the year 1978, soon after the club also acquired the services of Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen. He was a vital cog in Bill Shankly’s squad, as he knew how to break down any opponent through his dribbling and minute and efficient passing.

In his tenure at Liverpool, Souness played 359 matches and scored on 55 occasions. In terms of trophies, the Scottsman won five Premier League titles (Football League First Division back then), three European Champions League titles, three English Super Cups and four English League Cups. Moreover, he finished as the top scorer of the 1980-81 European Champions’ Cup with six goals.

8. Roger Hunt (England)

Roger Hunt is regarded as one of the best Liverpool players of all time, who helped the club become what they are today by lifting the outfit from the second division to a team that fought for the top-flight title. During his stay at the Reds, he secured a mind-boggling 285 goals in 492 appearances. Moreover, his club record of scoring 244 goals in the league stands to date, and it is unlikely that it will be broken.

Apart from winning two Premier League titles, one English FA Cup, and three English Super Cup trophies, he is also remembered as a crucial member of the England national football team in 1966, who won the FIFA World Cup. Interestingly, Hunt played alongside Sir Geoff Hurst up front, who was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup ultimatum.

7. Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)

An inevitable part of Liverpool's modern history, the Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has already cemented his stature as a Liverpool legend, courtesy of his work. He is also considered among the best defenders to wear the Reds' shirt to feature for the club apart from Alan Hansen and Ron Yeats. A member of the current setup, van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton back in 2018.

The centre back is currently one of the best Dutch players in the world. And since his arrival in Merseyside. The Netherlands international, he has won two Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League. He is currently the captain of the side and, after penning a contract extension this April, he will feature for them for another two years, until 2027, the year he turns 36.

6. Ian Rush (Wales)

The Welsh football legend Ian Rush spent two stints at the club during the 1980s and 1990s and enjoyed a brief spell at Italian giants Juventus as well in between. His prolific goal-scoring abilities distinguished him from others as he scored more than 30 goals in the English top division for a staggering five times in his first full six seasons.

This also included Rush scoring 40 or more goals during this tenure at Liverpool. The Wales icon tallied an impressive 346 goals for the Merseyside giants throughout his tenure. He had amassed over 650 appearances for the club in several different spells. Ian has also served as a club representative for Liverpool, and is hailed as one of the liverpool greatest players.

5. John Barnes (England)

The English winger John Barnes, who joined Liverpool from Watford in 1987, went on to represent the Reds for a decade until 1997. He even took the armband as the club's captain the side in the latter half of his tenure. He was a swift winger whose dribbling abilities made him untouchable. He made more than 400 outings for Liverpool and scored over 100 goals and nearly as many assists for Liverpool

The Liverpool legend was primarily a winger, but he had shifted to a central role during his latter years at the club and is regarded as an icon by many. In 1997, he left Liverpool to sign for English rivals Newcastle United and finally announced his retirement in 1999 after a five-month stint with Charlton.

4. Luis Suárez (Uruguay)

The Uruguayan icon Luis Suarez, who emerged as one of the best strikers in La Liga for Barcelona, is considered one of the deadliest attackers to have ever played for Liverpool. The only player from the Americas to make this list of Liverpool legends, Suarez joined the Reds in the January 2011 transfer window and became a fan favourite at Anfield Stadium.

The Inter Miami number nine Luis Suarez, played 133 matches and netted 82 times, etching his name in the club’s history books. In 2014, the Uruguayan left the club and joined FC Barcelona, and currently, 39 years old, Suarez is still an active footballer, representing Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer.

3. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Unsuccessful at Chelsea, but one of the best Liverpool players of all time, Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly the current best and an idol figure for millions. He is currently placed third on the all-time top scorers list for Liverpool, with 257 goals, only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt scoring more goals than him.

The Egyptian talisman Mo Salah has marauded the flanks and haunted the opposition backline with his pace, dribbling, and goal-scoring ferocity. He has been the top scorer on four occasions in the Premier League, including the previous season, where Liverpool bagged the title again. He has accumulated 257 goals for the Reds in over 400 appearances and lifted the Premier League twice and a UEFA Champions League title too.

2. Steven Gerrard (England)

Steven Gerrard, is the best midfielder to grace the Liverpool shirt. He represented only two clubs in his playing days – Liverpool, ever since he was a kid, and LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer during the twilight of his career. Gerrard was not only the skipper for a long time but also got the opportunity to work with top managers like Gerard Houllier, Rafael Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Brendan Rodgers, & Sir Kenny Dalglish.

The Liverpool legend is mostly remembered for his heroics in the midfield as he was a key figure in the Reds’ contingent throughout his career. Gerard could never win a Premier League title; the most memorable moment of his Liverpool days would perhaps be the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul back in 2005. Gerrard, who represented the Reds 710 times, is currently working as a manager, and fans can expect him to take charge of his boyhood club in the future.

1. Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)

Having joined Liverpool back in 1977 from Scottish club Celtic to replace the outgoing Kevin Keegan, Sir Kenny Dalglish represented the club until 1990 as a player, also working as a manager from 1985 to 1991. He is considered the biggest Liverpool legend and is one of the most decorated football players of all time. He featured 511 times for the Reds, scoring 170 goals and providing 186 assists.

Dalglish's most impactful goal might be the one he scored in the 1978 European Cup final, which was the winning goal. He won 35 trophies at Liverpool as a player, notably eight League titles, three European Cup trophies, two FA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, four English League Cups, and seven English Super Cups. Having worked as a manager post his playing career for clubs like Blackburn, Newcastle United, and Celtic, Dalglish is currently working as a board member at Liverpool as a board member.

How did we rank all the Liverpool Legend?

Let's understand the ranking factors. While preparing the list of Liverpool legends, we took some factors into consideration, which are explained below:

• Longevity: The major criterion is the tenure for which the player has represented Liverpool FC, reflecting sustained contribution, consistency, and lasting impact over multiple seasons.
• Consistency: Consistency is one of the most important things in football, and how these players have remained consistent throughout their tenure for Liverpool is the most astonishing.
• Trophies/Achievements: Big clubs like Liverpool FC play football to win major accolades, making success in top competitions an essential and non-negotiable factor in deciding Liverpool legends.