8. Virgil van Dijk
He has been one of the players who has completely transformed Liverpool’s fortunes over the last 10 years, winning league titles, getting to Champions League finals, winning the European Cup, and at times playing at that level has almost looked easy for him. For me, he’s the best centre-back I’ve seen in the Premier League era, no doubt one of the greatest centre-backs I’ve ever seen play the game.
So far above other players he plays against, even some of the top strikers I see him against, it just feels at times easy for him. His passing range, his pace, ability on the ball – there’s no real weakness with Virgil van Dijk. And in that Jürgen Klopp team, it was a great team but it wasn’t until he came to the club that it felt like it moved on to another level. 75 million quid, absolute steal.
7. Alan Hansen
I’m going to go for another centre-back. So, Virgil van Dijk isn’t the greatest centre-back to play for Liverpool, in my eyes, he’s just a very close second. That is Alan Hansen. What I love about Alan Hansen, he’s almost played in every great Liverpool team. The only thing he’s really missed out on probably is coming 12 months earlier and being part of the ’77 team. Obviously the team changes slightly in ’78 where it becomes a bit more sort of Alan Hansen, [Graeme] Souness and Kenny at the top end of the pitch. But he’s part of the late ’70s, then that sort of early-to-mid-’80s team that wins three league titles, a couple of European Cups, lots of Milk Cups. But on the back of that, he’s also part of that great late-’80s team of [John] Barnes, [Peter] Beardsley and John Aldridge as well.
So, he spans a lot of great teams. And when you think of Liverpool going a long time without winning a league title, I think a lot of that stops when Alan Hansen stops playing. And it doesn’t start again until maybe Virgil van Dijk comes. God knows what those centre-backs in the middle were doing for Liverpool! I think he was ahead of his time, the way he played the game. Watching clips and videos of him, I caught the end of his time as a player, and he was different to every other centre-back in the First Division at that time. It was about heading it and kicking it and kicking players. That wasn’t Alan Hansen at all. As I said, the greatest centre-back to ever play for Liverpool Football Club.
6. Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian King, Mo Salah. He’s always going to be in the top 10, anyone’s top 10, it’s just where he comes on that list. And for me, the thing I love about Mo Salah is the consistency, the longevity as well as the goals and the ability. When I think of this great Liverpool team that he’s been part of for nearly 10 years now, I think of Alisson [Becker], I think of Van Dijk and I think of Salah. Probably the same way I think of the ’80s teams when I think of Hansen, Souness and Dalglish. I think of that spine and those three players are what really put Liverpool where they are today.
The thing I love about Salah as well is, I don’t think he’s ever really had a bad season. Even some great players at times, they’re not at the same level and they come back the year after. Mo Salah gets 30 goals every season for Liverpool. He’s never injured. I love that fact about players, I love players who are on that teamsheet week after week, and that’s exactly what Mo Salah is. His record in the biggest games, especially against Manchester United as well, he’s got some iconic moments. And for me, one of the greatest players and greatest goalscorers we’ve ever seen at Liverpool Football Club.
5. Ian Rush
The greatest goalscorer to ever play for Liverpool Football Club, and probably ever will. There’s a figure that will never be beaten, which is 346 goals for the club. A huge part of that ’80s team, won everything, was a thorn in my childhood at times, goals he scored against Everton! I think he’s got the record in Merseyside derbies and those goals as well that he got in those cup finals in ’86 and ’89, that’s when we’re talking about Everton and Liverpool being the two best teams probably in the country at that time. The FA Cup final was absolutely huge, on a completely different level to where that cup is today, and they are iconic moments in Liverpool’s history, for different reasons. Winning the Double for the first time in 1986. In 1989, on the back of what had happened at Hillsborough in the semi-final. So many goals, so many memories and winning trophies for Liverpool. He was pretty unstoppable in front of goal. And as I said, a figure that I don’t think will ever be beaten is 346 goals for Liverpool Football Club.
4. John Barnes
A player I played with once in the first team, when I made my second appearance – me and him played central midfield for a half against West Ham. A player I marveled at as a kid. He was the best player in the country for four seasons, probably the best player in Britain, probably in the five or six best players in world football, I would say, from 1987 to 1991. Left wing, centre-forward. I played with him, as I said, and trained with him for 12 months. He was still technically the best player at the club when he was at the end of his time. I would say still technically the best player I’ve ever played alongside or trained with, no matter who I’ve played with and you can imagine some of the great players I’ve played with. No-one could match John Barnes.