From Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush to Mo Salah and Sadio Mane: This Is Anfiel d writers and contributors curate the definitive top 25 list of Liverpool players.
Liverpool FC have had legendary names wear the shirt throughout their storied history, but who claims a place among the club’s greatest 25 players?
From world-class goalkeepers and colossal defenders, to all-action midfielders and jaw-dropping attackers, Liverpool have had it all when it comes to the best of the best.
It makes curating a definitive list of the greatest-ever players a tall order, with legitimate claims for more players than the list could possibly contain.
The official club website have kicked off their official list of the Reds’ 100 greatest players, but we’ve polled This Is Anfield writers and contributors to get our top 25.
Using a weighted points system to aggregate all the individual ballots, our list of Liverpool’s top-25 greatest players of all time has been created, as you can see below:
The Average Top 25 Liverpool Players
Calculated using a weighted points system from TIA writers and contributors, here is the definitive consensus on the greatest players in Liverpool FC history:
*Ranking based on a weighted average from TIA writers and contributors as of May 2026. Tie-breakers decided by frequency of appearance, then by highest individual peak position.
Did any players feature in every list?
G4JKAR Liverpool player/manager Kenny Dalglish (left) and Ian Rush acknowledge their fans after they defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Dalglish scored the winning goal in the 23rd minute, clinching. the First Division championship for Liverpool. 1986. 1980s
Out of the 50 unique names provided, only eight appeared on every single ballot: Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Ian Rush, Mo Salah, John Barnes, Graeme Souness, Virgil van Dijk, and Alan Hansen.
Key voting insights for top 25 list
The Top Spot
Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard were the only two players to receive a first-place vote. Dalglish averaged an impressive 1.33 position.
Consistency Kings
Only three players never dropped below 5th place: Rush, Gerrard, and Dalglish. Mo Salah followed closely with a low of 6th.
Greatest Defender
Virgil van Dijk (No. 7) officially claims the title of LFC’s greatest-ever defender, narrowly edging out Alan Hansen (No. 8).
Longevity
Billy Liddell remains the highest-ranked player to have played predominantly in the pre-Shankly era.
Squad Depth
The final 25 is heavily attack-oriented: featuring 10 attackers, 7 midfielders, 6 defenders, and 2 goalkeepers.
Every unique name in Liverpool’s greatest player vote
Sport. Football. pic: 25th May 1977. European Cup Final in Rome. Liverpool 3 v Borussia Moenchengladbach 1. Liverpool's Kevin Keegan left, and goalkeeper Ray Clenmence embrace during the celebrations at the end of the match. Credit: Popperfoto.com Ref: BTS 1970s
There were 50 different names in total submitted for our greatest-ever list, including players from the 1910s all the way to the modern era.
In positional order, they are:
Goalkeepers: Ray Clemence, Alisson, Elisha Scott, Bruce Grobbelaar, Tommy Lawrence
Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson, Emlyn Hughes, Jamie Carragher, Ron Yeats, Sami Hyypia, Mark Lawrenson, Tommy Smith, Phil Neal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chris Lawler, Steve Nicol, Andy Robertson, Alan Kennedy
Midfielders: Steven Gerrard, John Barnes, Graeme Souness, Kevin Keegan, Ian Callaghan, Jordan Henderson, Steve McManaman, Terry McDermott, Ray Kennedy, Alex Raisbeck, Xabi Alonso, Jan Molby, Fabinho, Ronnie Whelan, Gary McAllister, Peter Beardsley
Forwards: Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish, Mo Salah, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler, Billy Liddell, Roger Hunt, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Ian St John, Michael Owen, Gordon Hodgson, Steve Heighway, Fernando Torres
We’ll have more content around Liverpool’s greatest players of all time throughout the summer.
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