Top 10 Best Liverpool Players: Liverpool Legends (Ranked)

When it comes to producing legends, Liverpool rank in the top tier of football. A club with a huge legacy and a philosophy that has been incorporated among the fanbase over the years, the Reds, as they are nicknamed, have been home to famous personalities like Sir Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Bill Shankly, and Bob Paisley. Liverpool FC, in recent times, especially after the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, 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 best players in the world, the Reds have always maintained this legacy of signing the best footballers or nurturing them from a very young age. If we look at Liverpool best players, legends like Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush lead the charts. In this article, we will discuss the best Liverpool players, who, as per the fans, are also considered Liverpool legends.

List of Best Ever Liverpool Players

The greatest Liverpool players have dominated the European scene over the generations. It was tough to compile a list of the best Liverpool players, 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, and they deserve a different kind of recognition. Here are our tally of Liverpool best players:

Rank	Player	Position	Tenure
10	Kevin Keegan	Centre Forward	1971-77
9	Graeme Souness	Central Midfielder	1978-84
8	Roger Hunt	Centre Forward	1958-69
7	Virgil van Dijk	Centre-back	2018-present
6	Ian Rush	Centre Forward	1980-86, 1986-87 (on loan from Juventus), 1988-96
5	John Barnes	Left Winger	1987-97
4	Luis Suarez	Centre Forward	2011-14
3	Mohamed Salah	Right Winger	2017-present
2	Steven Gerrard	Central Midfielder	1998-2015
1	Kenny Dalglish	Second Striker	1977-1990

How we Ranked the Liverpool Best Players of All Time?

While preparing the list of Liverpool best players, we took some factors into consideration, which seemed pretty important:

• Longevity: The major criterion is the tenure for which the player has represented Liverpool.             
• 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.                           
• Impact in Key Matches: Almost every player in this list has had a huge impact in key fixtures, thus helping them achieve the Liverpool legends status.          
• Trophies/Achievements: Big clubs like Liverpool play football to win major accolades and this factor is non-negotiable.

Who are the Greatest Liverpool Players of all Time?

This list has the 10 greatest Liverpool players, who have mesmerised Anfield time and again with their magic. Some of them also rank among the best footballers of all time. Hence, without further delay, let’s know a bit about the top Liverpool legends.

10. Kevin Keegan (England)

Keegan 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. He spent six seasons at Anfield, scoring 100 goals, a feat which helped him achieve legend status and also emerge as an icon in the #7 shirt. In 1977, he left for Hamburg in Germany and went on to win two Ballon d’Or titles. Notably, he was the last Englishman of that century to achieve this major individual accolade, before Michael Owen, one of the best strikers of all time, won the award in 2001.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies
322	100	88	Champions League (1), Premier League (3), UEFA Cup (2), English Super Cup (2), FA Cup (1)

9. Graeme Souness (Scotland)

Scottish midfielder Graeme Souness is one of the best Liverpool players of all time. He joined the Reds from Middlesbrough in 1978, soon after the club acquired the services of Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen. He was a vital cog in Shankly’s squad, as he knew how to break any opponent through his dribbling and minute and efficient passing. In his tenure at the Reds, he played 359 matches and scored on 55 occasions. Moreover, he won five Premier League titles (Football League First Division back then), three European Championsdown Clubs’ Cup titles (currently known as UEFA Champions League), three English Super Cups and four English League Cups. Moreover, he was also the top scorer of the 1980-81 European Champion Clubs’ Cup with six goals.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
359	55	40	Premier League (5), Champions League (3), English League Cup (4), English Super Cup (3)

8. Roger Hunt (England)

Hunt is regarded as one of the greatest Liverpool players, who helped the club become what they are today by uplifting 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 FA Cup, and three English Super Cup trophies, he is also remembered as a crucial member of England’s FIFA World Cup-winning squad in 1966, where he played alongside Sir Geoff Hurst up front, who was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup ultimatum. 

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
492	285	47+	Premier League (2), English Super Cup (3), FA Cup (1)

7. Virgil van Dijk (The Netherlands)

An inevitable part of Jurgen Klopp’s system at Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk is not only considered one of the best Liverpool players of all time but also perhaps the best defender 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. During his stay, he has already 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. 

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
319	28	13	Champions League (1), Premier League (2), UEFA Super Cup (1), FA Cup (1), FIFA Club World Cup (1), English League Cup (2), English Super Cup (1)

6. Ian Rush

Rush spent two stints at the club during the 1980s and 1990s and enjoyed a brief spell at Juventus in between. His prolific goal-scoring abilities distinguished him from others as he scored more than 30 goals in the Premier League five times in his first full six seasons. This also included scoring 40 or more goals during this tenure. Having tallied 346 goals for the Reds, Rush, who currently works as a club representative for Liverpool, is hailed as a benchmark for Liverpool attackers.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
654	339	110	Champions League (2), Premier League (5), FA Cup (3), English League Cup (5), English Super Cup (4)

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5. John Barnes

English winger John Barnes, who joined Liverpool from Watford in 1987, went on to represent the Reds until 1997, captaining the side in the latter half of his tenure. He was a swift winger whose dribbling abilities made him untouchable. Although a winger, Barnes 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 Newcastle United and finally announced his retirement in 1999 after a five-month stint with Charlton. 

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies
406	107	92	Premier League (2), FA Cup (2), English League Cup (1), English Super Cup (3)

4. Luis Suarez

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, Suarez joined the Reds in the January 2011 transfer window. He played 133 matches and scored 82 goals, etching his name in the club’s history books. In 2014, the Uruguayan left the club and joined Barcelona, and currently 38 years old, Suarez is still an active footballer, representing Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies
133	82	32	English League Cup (1)

3. Mohamed Salah

Unsuccessful at Chelsea, but one of the best Liverpool players in recent times, Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly the current best and an idol to many upcoming footballers. Despite being a winger, Salah is currently placed third on the all-time top scorers list for Liverpool, with only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt scoring more goals than him. Ever since joining the club in 2017, Salah marauded the flanks and haunted the opposition backline with his pace, dribbling, and goal-scoring ferocity, and 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 245 goals for the Reds in 401 appearances and has won the Premier League twice and a UEFA Champions League title too.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
401	245	113	Premier League (2), Champions League (1), FA Cup (1), UEFA Super Cup (1), FIFA Club World Cup (1), English Super Cup (1), English League Cup (3)

2. Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard, one of the best midfielders to grace the game of football, 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. During his time at Liverpool, 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, and the legendary Sir Kenny Dalglish. He is mostly remembered for his heroics in the midfield as he was a steering figure in the Reds’ contingent throughout his career. Although he never won 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.

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
710	186	155	Champions League (1), UEFA Super Cup (2), UEFA Cup (1), FA Cup (2), English League Cup (3), English Super Cup (2)

1. Kenny Dalglish

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 one of the best Liverpool players of all time and is also one of the Liverpool legends. He featured 511 times for the Reds, scoring 170 goals and providing 186 assists. However, his most impactful goal might be the one he scored in the 1978 European Cup final, which was the winning goal. He won 25 trophies at Liverpool as a player, notably eight Premier 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. 

Appearances	Goals	Assists	Trophies Won
511	170	186	Premier League (8), European Cup (3), FA Cup (2), UEFA Super Cup (1), English League Cup (4), English Super Cup (7)

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