Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Ever since its inception, football has almost exclusively been a game written by the goalscorers and the geniuses.
This has extended to Liverpool in the modern era, where a whole host of icons have captured the global imagination. Steven Gerrard remains arguably the Reds’ greatest player of the Premier League era, rivalled by the record-breaking brilliance of Mohamed Salah, and the towering, transformative consistency of Virgil van Dijk.
But footballing empires are not built on superstars alone. Behind every one of Liverpool’s headline-grabbers has been a spine of players who sacrificed individual spotlights for the collective good.
But what does it actually mean to be underrated at Liverpool? Is it a lack of statistical appreciation from rival fans, or is it being overshadowed by a generational teammate? By examining the ultimate fan debate on TalkingPoints, we can break down the Reds’ most underappreciated Premier League stars into four distinct archetypes to find the definitive unsung hero.
The ‘underrated’ paradox: Roberto Firmino and Gini Wijnaldum
To casual observers, football is a game of goals and assists. To purists – and notably to Jurgen Klopp – it is a game of space and control. Arguably no two players from the last 34 years at Liverpool have embodied this divide more than Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Firmino was seen by many as the glue which held Klopp’s legendary front line together and unlocked the devastating attack alongside Salah and Sadio Mane. The Brazilian re-defined the ‘false 9’ role in England, dropping deep to drag centre-backs out of position while Salah and Mane raided from wide.
However, Firmino presents a modern paradox: he has become so universally praised for being underrated that he has essentially become properly rated. Every serious football fan now recognises, or should recognise, his genius, while pundits often give him his dues as well.
Liverpool fans may see some new young players in the first-team after the international break
Liverpool fans may see some new young players in the first-team after the international break
Andoni Iraola should be very worried by what Xavi is doing with Virgil van Dijk on international duty
Andoni Iraola should be very worried by what Xavi is doing with Virgil van Dijk on international duty
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Wijnaldum, on the other hand, genuinely fits the bill. The Dutch midfielder arrived as an attacking player from Newcastle but transformed into a workhorse in the middle of the pitch. His press-resistance was elite, and his ability to shield the ball under immense pressure made him absolutely undroppable.
Because his work was largely about retention and recycling rather than progression, his true value was only fully realized by the wider public after he departed for Paris Saint-Germain, leaving a vacuum in the midfield engine room which took years to replicate. His two goals against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final will always put him in the spotlight, but it is true that Wijnaldum was and continues to be underrated by Liverpool fans.
The shadow dwellers: Joel Matip and Andrew Robertson
It is a brutal sporting reality that playing directly alongside a once-in-a-generation superstar will inevitably diminish your own spotlight.
Consider Andy Robertson. Arriving from relegated Hull City, he went stride-for-stride with Trent Alexander-Arnold in redefining the modern fullback and setting new heights for attacking output.
Yet, because Alexander-Arnold was such a match-winner on the opposite side, and was so unorthodox as a full-back, Robertson’s relentless defensive consistency and overlapping threat were often taken for granted. Maybe he was ultimately giveN the credit he deserves at Liverpool, but in Klopp’s all-conquering 2018-2022 team, he was never the biggest attraction.
Neither was Joel Matip, who took a little while to get going after joining on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016. It was not until Van Dijk’s capture in 2018 that the Cameroonian truly began to show just how good he was.
But while Van Dijk helped to unlock Matip, he also put him very much in the shade. With the Dutchman very much the main man in Liverpool’s defence, the consistency and quality of his centre-back partner was often overlooked.
Injuries played their part in reducing Matip’s overall impact, but given his quiet personality and his status as Liverpool’s second centre-back, he is a strong candidate as an underrated star.
The lightning rods: Jordan Henderson and James Milner
Some players are underrated simply because they prioritize grit over finesse. In an era dominated by hyper-technical highlight reels on social media, players like Jordan Henderson and James Milner became easy targets for rival fans.
Milner was the ultimate professional, a player who could plug into 100 different roles across a decade and reliably deliver a 7-out-of-10 performance, whether at left-back or in central midfield.
Henderson was another who was willing to do the dirty work which often went unheralded. After facing intense scrutiny early on in his Liverpool career, the captain was pigeon-holed as a workhorse midfielder with a lack of technical quality.
He may have lacked the Hollywood passing range of his predecessor, Gerrard, but Henderson provided the leadership and intensity which underpinned Klopp’s Liverpool. He was the vocal leader and standard-setter who was happy to hold anyone accountable at any time. There’s a reason Henderson played for Liverpool for 12 years and won it all.
The forgotten pioneers: Jamie Carragher and Danny Murphy
It is easy to filter the entirety of Liverpool’s Premier League era through the lens of Klopp’s relatively recent silverware, but the Reds’ history of underappreciation stretches back much further.
Jamie Carragher is known by younger generations as a charismatic pundit, and his at times controversial takes have led to him being dismissed by rival fans as a player who was never quite good enough as a top-tier Premier League defender.
In reality, Carragher possessed an immense footballing brain, anchoring the defence during the historic 2005 Champions League miracle and matching the output of more celebrated peers like Rio Ferdinand and John Terry for over a decade. His playing career deserves to be remembered far better than it usually is.
Similarly, Danny Murphy remains a fairly forgotten lynchpin of the early 2000s Liverpool team which regularly won silverware. Overshadowed by the emergence of Gerrard, Murphy was a clutch utility player who had a nice habit of scoring decisive winners against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Another who has turned his hand to punditry, Murphy was a better and more decisive player than the current perception of him would have you believe.
The verdict: Who wins the crown?
While a strong case can be made for Firmino’s tactical sacrifice, Henderson’s leadership, Carragher’s longevity and Wijnaldum’s cruciality, the definitive crown of Liverpool’s most underappreciated Premier League star belongs to Joel Matip.
In an era where modern recruitment demands premium fees, Matip represents arguably the greatest free transfer in Premier League history, certainly in Liverpool’s.
He wasn’t just Van Dijk’s underling, he was a world-class operator in his own right. There is a reason the legendary Dutchman absolutely loved playing alongside him, and though he was ultimately hampered and held back by injuries, Matip is arguably the Reds’ next-best centre-back of the last 35 years.
Combining elite defensive reading with a rare, progressive bravery on the ball, Matip didn’t shout, he didn’t seek the camera, and he played in the shadow of a giant.
But Liverpool would not have won what they did without the former Schalke man, and that makes him the ultimate unsung hero of the modern Anfield era.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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Photo by STEFAN KOOPS/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by STEFAN KOOPS/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images