Liverpool players with the most red cards in Premier League

Red cards are always detrimental to a football game. It always puts the teams at a disadvantage. Firstly, the numbers game will play to the opposition’s advantage straightaway, while the team receiving red cards will be forced to adopt a pragmatic style most of the time. The chances of a team with one or more red cards have always been less to win a game, except for a few instances. A team with a better disciplinary record is one of the underlying factors in winning a game. Liverpool are one of the teams who hold a good disciplinary record, though it’s always difficult to escape a red card here and then. Here we take a look at the Reds players who have received more red cards in their Premier League career.

List of Players with the most red cards for Liverpool

Robbie Fowler ( 2 red cards)

A cult figure among the Anfield faithful, Robbie Fowler will always go down as one of the legends of Liverpool. Fowler was also a beloved figure among the fans as he rose through the youth ranks of Liverpool. The former English striker is also the Reds’ top scorer in the Premier League, having scored 183 goals in total across two spells for the club. Despite failing to win the Premier League, Fowler got his hands at an FA Cup, one UEFA Cup and two EFL Cups. On the other hand, his disciplinary record was quite record, receiving two red cards in his Premier League career. Notoriously, both of them came between six months in 1997. The first dismissal happened during a Merseyside derby against Everton in 1997, which led the Reds to an eventual draw. None of the remaining games were victories for the Reds when he got sent off. 

Jamie Carragher ( 2 red cards)

Jamie Carragher may have become a decent football pundit these days but his playing career was like no other. Spending his entire career with Liverpool which spanned 17 years, Carragher ranks second on the list of overall appearances as well as their record appearance maker in European competitions. Another renowned academy product, Carragher won several accolades with the Reds, including the famous Champions League title win in 2005-06 – where Liverpool completed one of the greatest comebacks in history. Carragher is among the top defenders the Premier League has ever seen, which also means he is prone to red cards due to his playing position. The former defender received his first red in his second full season with the first team in the 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic while the next dismissal came after 10 years in the 2009/10 season against Fulham. The Reds also ended up on the losing side this time.

Also Read: Top 12 players with most Champions League goals in a single match

Pepe Reina ( 2 red cards)

The present Como shot-stopper spent a nine-year spell between 2005 and 2014 with the Reds, going down as one of the top-most keepers in the club’s history. Despite his success and goalkeeping prowess, Reina also holds an unwanted record for being the only keeper in the Reds’ history with more red cards (two). The first one came in his debut season in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge when he shoved Arjen Robben in the face while the second one came after six years in a game against Newcastle United – again on the losing cause – due to an altercation with James Perch. The 42-year-old is still going strong in Serie A.

Jordan Henderson ( 2 red cards)

Jordan Henderson was one of the notable figures of the Reds in the last decade, captaining the team to the Premier League and Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Cup under manager Jurgen Klopp. The English midfielder was also named the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2019-20 following an incredible season. During his 12-year stint at Anfield, Henderson received two red cards, with the first one coming in a 3-2 home win against Manchester City in 2014 as a result of his late challenge on Samir Nasri. The other one came after four years during a win against Watford when he was brandished two yellow cards.

James Milner ( 2 red cards)

Another Liverpool legend, James Milner was one of the key figures during the Klopp revolution that brought the Reds back to their heydays after a long wait. His versatility and experience made him one of the most reliable assets for the German gaffer. In his eight-year stint between 2015 and 2023, the Englishman also received two records, with both of them coming against Crystal Palace. Milner was sent off after two bookable offences in a league game against the Eagles in his debut season. Later in 2017, Referee Jonathan Moss showed him two yellows inside seven minutes in a home fixture against Palace. Milner bid farewell to the Reds last year and subsequently joined fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Javier Mascherano ( 3 red cards)

Mascherano’s hard-tackling style of play always made him prone to red cards and unsurprisingly, it was the case during his time with Liverpool. The Argentine legend holds a poor disciplinary record, receiving three reds in just less than 100 Premier League games with the Reds. The first one came against rivals Manchester United in 2008 at Old Trafford as he was issued two yellows before the break, with the Reds eventually losing the game 3-0. Mascherano turned out to be the culprit again in a clash against Man Utd in October 2009 after receiving two yellow cards, though the Merseysiders managed to win the contest. Two months later, he was issued a straight red against Portsmouth following his horrible tackle on Tal Ben-Haim.

Steven Gerrard ( 6 red cards)

On top of the list is Liverpool’s all-time great Steven Gerrard. As outstanding as his achievements with the Reds were, Gerrard’s disciplinary record also leaves a lot to be desired as he has been sent off six times during his time with the Reds. One of the greatest midfielders of all time, Gerrard clocked up 504 appearances in the Premier League, third most by a Liverpool player. His first dismissal occurred in his debut season during a defeat in a Merseyside derby against Everton when he was booked for a tactical foul on Kevin Campbell. He also received his final red card in his last campaign for the Reds in a game against Man Utd. The English midfielder was only introduced after halftime but lasted less than a minute after getting sent off for a foul on Ander Herrera.

Also Read: Players With Most Yellow and Red Cards in the 2023-2024 Premier League Season So Far

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