Liverpool FC has released the final rankings in their list of the top 100 all-time greatest players for the club.
The countdown started on June 1st on Liverpool’s social media and continued over the course of the last five weeks, slowly revealing the club’s greatest players of all time.
Many of the rankings caused a bit of unrest among Liverpool supporters, especially early on, as fan-favourite Dominik Szoboszlai came in at number 99. But the club emphasised that trophies and matches played were big factors in the list, with Szoboszlai only joining the Reds 3 years ago.
The Republic of Ireland has had many national team players who have played for Liverpool over the years, and Irish fans will be glad that a select few have been included in the best 100 players to have graced the club.
The legend that is Ray Houghton came in at number 80 on the list, followed by John Aldridge at number 65, Ronnie Whelan at number 33, and Liverpool’s greatest ever Irish player, Steve Heighway, at number 30.
The top five in the list have been much debated for the order they appear in, but what is non-negotiable is that each of the players deserves no less than a spot in the top five, regardless of the order.
The first player to appear in the top five was John Barnes, an absolute favourite among fans ever since he signed for the club in 1987. Even still, Barnes remains one of the most adored legends to ever come out of the red half of Merseyside.
Number four was the most contentious among fans as Mohamed Salah could not crack the top three. The Egyptian just pipped Barnes to claim the fourth spot, and given what he has done for the club since joining, it seems a respectable spot.
The third greatest Liverpool player was deemed to be the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, Ian Rush, who said the honour of being in the top three was just as meaningful to him as holding the goalscoring record.
The top two were never in doubt. The order may be debated, but Liverpool fans know just how important Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard were for their club.
Sir Kenny Dalglish took the number two spot, with the Scotsman being the standout player during the club’s most decorated period, with an elite ability to unpick defences combined with world-class finishing.
That only leaves one player who could take the number one spot, and that is the club’s legendary number eight, Steven Gerrard. He was the driving force during turbulent times and a source of constant inspiration as one of the greatest midfielders of his era. The Scouser’s 17-year career at the club is a highlight reel in itself, and he will now be deservedly etched as the greatest player to grace the pitch for Liverpool.
