Nov 8

Nov 8 The 5 Greatest Premier League Players in Liverpool History

The Greatest 5 Liverpool players in Premier League history

Who are the best players to have played for Liverpool in the Premier League era?

It’s a contentious list as ever… but aren’t they all? Here is my list of the 5 best players to play for Liverpool in the Premier League.

5. Robbie Fowler (1993-2001, 2006-2007)

Affectionately known as “God” by Liverpool fans, hometown hero Robbie Fowler remains one of the greatest strikers the club has ever seen.

Making his debut at just 18, Fowler made an instant impact, scoring a hat-trick in only his fifth league game for the club. If that wasn’t a sign of good things to come, I don’t know what was.

In another era, Fowler would have been at least a two-time golden boot winner, netting 25 and 28 goals in the 1994-95 & 1995-96 seasons respectively but the presence of Alan Shearer deemed it near impossible.

Fowler was a beam of light in a struggling Liverpool side of the 90s. The club was unable to compete with Manchester United who rose to become the new powerhouse of English football and that meant Fowler won just one trophy (League Cup) in his first seven years at the club.

The eighth year however was a trophy-laden one as the club won the FA Cup, Super Cup, UEFA Cup, and League Cup with Fowler netting in the finals of both the UEFA Cup and League Cup.

Fowler had stints at Leeds United and Manchester City after leaving Liverpool in 2001 but made his long-awaited return in 2006 reaching the Champions League final.

Fowler netted 183 goals in total for Liverpool and sits sixth on the list of all-time goal scorers for Liverpool, as well as the seventh-highest goalscorer in Premier League history.

4. Jordan Henderson (2011- Present)

**That’s correct people, I have Jordan Henderson fourth on my all-time list *in Premier League history.**

I’d be lying if I said I never questioned Henderson’s ability and his future at the club multiple times.

However, we’ve all witnessed this man bounce back from almost getting shipped off to Fulham for Clint Dempsey. Despite this, Jordan Henderson has ended up succeeding arguably the greatest captain in the club’s history and has since led that same side to glory upon glory. You cannot deny this man anymore!

I can only imagine how Kenny Dalglish feels right now. Bringing in Henderson as a fresh-faced 21-year-old energiser bunny and watching him become a composed, effective midfield player- and captain of one of the top teams in the world.

Henderson’s value to the Liverpool side is extremely understated by rivals, but understood by those who really pay attention.

I understand people will call me crazy for having him fourth on this list- or maybe even on this list in general- but I don’t care!

3. Luis Suarez (2011-2014)

“El Pistolero”.

To this day, I’ve never experienced anything like watching Luis Suarez in that red kit on a Saturday afternoon, with his right wrist taped up.

I truly believe Luis Suarez is one of the greatest talents to ever play for Liverpool and regardless of his short tenure, lack of trophies, and off-the-field issues, my initial statement remains the same.

Sometimes I wonder what sort of superhero numbers he’d achieve in this current Liverpool team, but the numbers are just off the chart.

In his historic 2013-14 season where he netted 31 goals in 33 games, Suarez was the best striker in the world. The connection between him and Liverpool fans was nothing short of special.

So special, in fact, that I confidently purchased a Luis Suarez kit ahead of the 2014-15 season as I thought he wouldn’t leave, especially with the way the season ended- how wrong was I?

I’d love to see Suarez one day return to the pitch he once commanded- and bring the gasps of 45,000 fans just waiting to see what wizardry he will perform.

2. Mohamed Salah (2017- Present)

Not dissimilar to Luis Suarez in terms of a significant legacy set in such a short amount of time, Mohamed Salah has secured his status as a Liverpool legend, and he’s further adding to the legacy now.

Salah is one of those players who can hang your hat on and say, “that guy, I don’t know how but he’ll get us a goal”- and on countless occasions, he has done just that.

To this day, I still don't think he gets the respect he deserves from the wider community in football, but the stats speak for themselves. For those who dislike stats and prefer "the eyeball test", just watch him and tell me what you think.

While his strike partners Roberto Firmino and formerly Sadio Mane look to have declined, Salah remains a constant in attack and is the most important player in the Liverpool squad. He is also without a doubt one of the greatest players in Egyptian football history.

1. Steven Gerrard (1998-2015)

While 5-2 on the list was highly contentious, I hope we all shared the same belief that number one belongs to one man and one man only, and his name is Steven George Gerrard.

The original Captain Fantastic, Gerrard is an icon in football. The heights to which he dragged certain Liverpool sides who had no business being that high is still remarkable to look back on.

Yes, he didn’t win the Premier League title, but would Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira, or Roy Keane win the title if they played in the teams Gerrard did? Just food for thought.

Gerrard was my first hero and remains my favourite player ever. He inspired a generation of kids with his fearlessness on the field and in my opinion, groomed Jordan Henderson to become the captain he is today.

While I still resent the way Gerrard’s teammates let him down in his last ever game for the club, I’m sure it was Gerrard himself consoling the players in the dressing room, rather than the other way around.