Liverpool legends: The best Liverpool players of all time

When you think of English football, you can't help but think of Liverpool Football Club.

A club synonymous with passion, excitement and glory, the Reds have been dominant over multiple periods, fielding some of the greatest players to have ever graced the face of the planet.

Liverpool are the most decorated team in England and have won a ludicrous amount of silverware both domestically and on the continent since their formation in 1892.

Here are the 25 best players to have donned the red of Liverpool - ranked.

25. Roberto Firmino

The most underrated member of the fabled front three, Firmino never quite got the same plaudits as Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. As more of a facilitator, that's somewhat understandable, but the Brazilian was instrumental to the success of the Jurgen Klopp era.

With incredible flair and teeth brighter than the sun, Firmino soaked up the adoration of the Anfield faithful for eight years and won pretty much every major trophy with the Reds.

Firmino's 'Si Señor' song still rings out on Merseyside regularly.

24. Steve Heighway

The flying winger also has his name belted out around Anfield on a regular basis during 'Fields of Anfield Road', and with good reason based on the immense legacy he left at the club.

The Irishman spent over a decade on Merseyside and won five league titles, the FA Cup, a League Cup and two European Cups, making 475 appearances for the club.

23. Mark Lawrenson

Perhaps known by a modern audience for being a gruff Match of the Day pundit, Lawrenson was a key part of Liverpool's most dominant era during the 1980s.

His partnership with Alan Hansen in the heart of the defence was legendary and helped Liverpool to five First Division titles in just seven years during Lawrenson's stint at Anfield.

22. Robbie Fowler

There's a reason Fowler was nicknamed 'God' by Liverpool supporters. The Toxteth-born striker was a simply relentless goalscorer for the Reds during the 1990s.

Only six players have scored more than his 183 Liverpool goals, with the poacher even returning to Anfield for a very brief spell in 2006.

He epitomised the spirit of Liverpool as a club, with his energy and aggression on the pitch helping endear him to the Kop.

21. Phil Thompson

Thompson spent almost his entire career at Liverpool and was Hansen's original centre-back partner during the late 1970s and early '80s. However, the defender arrived at Anfield earlier than his Scottish teammate, joining the club in 1971.

He would make 477 outings for Liverpool across a 13-year period before a brief switch to Sheffield United, but he lifted a remarkable three European Cups - half of the Reds' total number - during his time at the club.

20. Alan Kennedy

One of Thompson and Liverpool's European Cup triumphs may not have happened if not for Kennedy, who netted the only goal of the game during the 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the 1981 final in Paris.

Kennedy would then score the winning penalty in the 1984 final against Roma at Stadio Olimpico, with few players boasting more definitive moments on the European stage than the left-back.

19. Emlyn Hughes

Another commanding presence during the 1970s and '80s, only two former players boast more appearances as Liverpool captain than the brilliant Hughes.

Voted the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year in 1977, the England international was one of the Reds' greatest ever defenders and was known for his marauding runs from deep in his own half.

18. Alisson

The arrival of Alisson helped revolutionise Klopp's Liverpool, with the Brazilian providing the bravery, technical qualities and shot-stopping ability Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet couldn't under the former Borussia Dortmund coach.

Alisson quickly became renowned for his excellent passing and magnificent one-v-one ability, with some suggesting he's the greatest goalkeeper the Reds have ever had.

17. Ian St John

St John was one of Bill Shankly's most trusted forwards during the 1960s, netting for the Reds at a frightening rate. He finished his Liverpool career with 118 goals, an impressive tally that sees him rank in the top 20 goalscorers in the club's history.

While Shankly's Liverpool didn't win quite as much as successor Bob Paisley's team, St John was part of a side that lifted two top-flight league titles and an FA Cup.

16. Billy Liddell

Liddell only played for one club during his career, with his time at Liverpool spanning a staggering 23 years from before the end of the Second World War to the early 1960s.

The iconic forward featured mainly as a winger but was also capable of playing centrally, finishing up with 228 goals in 534 matches in a Liverpool jersey.

15. Sadio Mane

Another member of Klopp's famous triumvirate of attackers, Mane was often the man most idolised by Liverpool supporters. He boasted such raw talent yet was incredibly technically gifted, using his pace and power to devastate opposition full-backs during his time at Anfield.

The Senegalese is one of the great Premier League wingers and was absolutely crucial to Klopp's side lifting the Champions League and Premier League over the past decade.

14. Ray Clemence

There are two goalkeepers in the debate for the greatest stopper in Liverpool's history, with Clemence perhaps just seeing off competition from current Reds star Alisson.

Only three Liverpool players have made more appearances than Clemence's 665 across 14 years at Anfield, with five First Division titles and three European Cups in his trophy cabinet.

13. Kevin Keegan

Keegan is one of the few players to have won the Ballon d'Or and played for Liverpool, even if he won the accolade twice while at Hamburg in Germany. However, his superstar status was achieved with the Reds prior to his move to the Bundesliga.

The electric attacker was an astounding footballer for both Liverpool and England, capturing the imagination of the club's supporters with his wizardry on the wing.

12. Ron Yeats

One of the many great Scots to have worn Liverpool red, Yeats captained the Merseyside club a whopping 415 times - only Steven Gerrard (471) wore the armband more frequently.

Liverpool's dominance in the 1970s and '80s was built on the foundations laid by Yeats and his teammates, with the defender winning four major titles with the Reds during a decade-long spell.

11. Luis Suarez

Suarez was capable of doing things with a football no other Liverpool player has ever done - just ask Norwich City. The Uruguayan was often a controversial character on Merseyside in terms of his behaviour on the pitch, but there was no doubting his generational talent.

He was more than fit to grace the fabled number seven jersey and set a then record for the most goals scored (31) in a single 38-game Premier League season during the 2013/14 campaign.

If he had stayed a little longer at Liverpool, there's no doubt he would rank higher.

10. Alan Hansen

There are often accusations thrown at older footballers that they wouldn't have been able to cope with the pace and fluidity of today's game. That is certainly not an accusation thrown at Hansen.

The Scot boasted all the qualities needed of a modern centre-half, with the defender known for stepping into midfield and driving forward with the ball at his feet.

A record of eight First Division titles, two FA Cups, three European Cups and four League Cups speaks for itself.

9. Roger Hunt

The second most prolific goalscorer to ever play for the Reds, Hunt accumulated 285 goals in 492 appearances for Liverpool, finding the back of the net every 1.73 matches.

Hunt spent 11 years with Liverpool over the course of his career and was part of the England squad that won the World Cup in 1966. Icons don't come much bigger.

8. John Barnes

Barnes may not boast the same size of trophy cabinet as some of Liverpool's other greats, but he is the reason so many of the club's supporters fell in love with football.

A truly magical left foot and the ability to weave in and out of opposition challenges, the former England international was a devastating presence for club and country.

7. Graeme Souness

The gritty midfielder won a ridiculous amount of silverware over the course of his illustrious career, with a fair chunk of it coming at Anfield. Five league titles, three European Cups and four League Cups is a pretty impressive haul.

Souness would even come back to manage Liverpool in the early 1990s, securing an FA Cup triumph during a difficult period on Merseyside. He remains one of the club's most inspiring figures for his determined performances in the engine room.

6. Ian Callaghan

Liverpool's record appearance holder, Callaghan played a quite ludicrous 857 times for Liverpool over a 19-year period. He won 12 major pieces of silverware with the Reds and was amazingly only booked once throughout his entire career.

Callaghan was another Liverpool representative in the England squad for the 1966 World Cup, with the midfielder a truly legendary figure on Merseyside.

5. Mohamed Salah

The 'Egyptian King', few could have predicted the impact Salah would have at Anfield. After failing at Chelsea, the winger spent a few years in Italy before securing a return to England in 2017.

He immediately hit the ground running, breaking Suarez's record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season by netting 32, and his ruthlessness in front of goal has not faded.

Salah is currently Liverpool's fifth highest goalscorer of all time and has won everything available to him during his time on Merseyside. It's fair to say his greatness has been taken for granted a little by fans of English football and he'll be classed as one of the best players of all time.

4. Virgil van Dijk

The most transformative figure in Liverpool's recent history, Van Dijk has established himself as one of the greatest centre-backs of the 21st century - and arguably the Reds' best defender ever.

The calmest of presences in the heart of the Liverpool backline, the current skipper plays with such swagger, dominating almost every centre-forward who dares to challenge him.

His 118th-minute winning goal in the 2023/24 Carabao Cup final was yet another example of how monumentally significant he is for the Reds.

3. Ian Rush

You could easily travel the face of the earth without finding a more lethal goalscorer than Rush. He is, unsurprisingly, Liverpool's all-time top scorer, netting an astonishing 346 times in 660 appearances for the Reds.

He was Liverpool's most prolific finisher in eight different seasons and also won the European Golden Boot in 1984 - the same year he won the European Cup and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

He was the man for the big occasion for Liverpool and scored five times in three FA Cup final victories with the Reds.

2. Steven Gerrard

The man who carried an often underperforming Liverpool side on his back for over a decade, Gerrard is not only one of the Reds' all-time icons, he is one of the most well-rounded and talented midfielders to ever play the game.

Gerrard captained Liverpool more than any other player and even has an FA Cup final named after him - the midfielder scoring twice in the 2006 triumph against West Ham.

He was also integral in Liverpool's miraculous 2005 Champions League final comeback against Milan in Istanbul and would have won an awful lot more with the Reds had his teammates been even half as good as him.

1. Kenny Dalglish

'King Kenny' is the most revered Liverpool player in the club's long history, with the effortless number seven even having a stand named after him at Anfield.

Dalglish spent 13 years at Anfield and won a staggering number of major trophies on Merseyside, including three European crowns. He even finished runner-up in the 1983 Ballon d'Or.

The Scotsman was also hugely successful as Liverpool's player-manager during the late 1980s, winning three First Division trophies and two FA Cups.

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