Liverpool All-Time Greatest English Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index
Liverpool Greatest All-Time Team

Liverpool African or African born Best XI

Liverpool Greatest All-Time Team for Foreigners
Liverpool Greatest All-Time Team for British Isles players without English players

At the time of writing, Liverpool FC won 5 European Cup/Champions' League trophies, a record for British clubs.  In the 1970's, they won three European Cups, making them one of the greatest ever club sides in history.   The top players for them in the era were three Scottish players: Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish.  The team also consisted of great English players.  Nevertheless, Liverpool FC is still an English players fielded with great English players throughout the ages. Kevin Keegan, Steve Gerrard, John Barnes, Ray Clemence, etc were some of the former players who were considered among the greatest ever footballers from England.

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for English players who had played for Liverpool FC.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  I created all time teams for Liverpool foreign players and players from British Isles without English players.

John Barnes and Peter Beardsley

Team
GK: Ray Clemence 
Ray Clemence was considered one of England's greatest keepers. He won 3 European Cups and 2 UEFA Cups in the 1970's with Liverpool and the 1984 UEFA Cup with Tottenham Hotspurs.  He was voted as Liverpool's greatest keeper.  For the national team, he was locked in a battle of number 1 with Peter Shilton.  He was Shilton's backup at the World Cup Finals in 1982. He made 61 appearances for England between 1972 and 1983.

Ray Clemence 

GK: David James (England)

At the time of writing, David James is the third all-time Premier league appearance record holder. He starred for Liverpool as one of the "Spice Boys".  However, his reputation suffered after a series of blunders, earning the nickname of "Calamity James".  He picked up 53 caps for England.  He was the starting keeper at the European Champions in 2004 and the World Cup Finals in 2010.

GK: Sam Hardy (England)
Discovered by Liverpool FC after playing against them with Chesterfield, Sam Hardy joined Liverpool in 1905.  He stayed there until 1912. Later, he played for Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Between 1907 and 1920, he was capped 21 times by England, which was then an astonishing number, especially his career was cut by the War.  He was widely considered to be England's first ever star keeper.  His nickname was "Safe and Steady Sam".

RB: Phil Neal 
Phil Neal was the great right back from Liverpool between 1974 and 1985. He was one of England's most decorated player, winning 4 First Divisions, 4 League Cups, 5 FA Charity Shields, 4 European Cups, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cups. He also played for Northampton Town and Bolton Wanderers as a full back. Neal also had a long career with England winning 50 caps and playing in the 1982 World Cup and the 1980 European Championship.

Phil Neal

RB: Tommy Smith (England)
Smith was a key figure for Liverpool during the 1960's when Liverpool became the most successful club in England.  He spent 16 years with the club. Smith's most memorable moment for the club probably came when he scored the winning goal in the 1977 European Cup final against Borussia Mönchengladbach.  He later played in the NASL.  He ended his career with Swansea.

CB/LB: Emlyn Hughes (England) 
Emlyn Hughes was at one point the captain of England and Liverpool.  He was considered to be one of Liverpool's most important defenders.  He joined the club from Blackpool in 1967. He played under Bill Shankly in the 1970's where he won two European Cups, four League titles and a single FA Cup. He was FWA Football of the Year in 1977.  He earned 62 English caps.  He went to the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico.

CB: Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher spent his entire career with Liverpool.  He is their second longest serving player in their history.  He won the UEFA Champions' League in 2005 and two FA Cups with them.  Internationally, he had 38 caps for England. He was a part of England's team at the Euro 2004 and the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010.  His international career was limited by playing at the same time as John Terry, Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinard, etc.

Jamie Carragher

CB: Phil Thompson
Phil Thompson made his professional debut in 1971 for Liverpool and never looked back.  He was a part of the decorated team that won 3 European Cups and 7 league titles.  He formed a partnership with Alan Hansen that was considered among the best ever in Europe.  He was briefly the captain for Liverpool.  He also earned 42 caps for England and went to the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain.

CB: Mark Wright
As a player, Mark Wright had spells with Liverpool, Derby County, Southampton and Oxford United during the 1980s and 1990s. He captained Liverpool when they won the 1992 FA Cup. He made 45 appearances for the English national football team, and was a member of the team which reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1990.

LB: Alan Kennedy
Kennedy started his career with Newcastle United, but his best years were spent at Liverpool.  He won two European Cup with Liverpool, scoring a goal at each of the Final.  His international career, however, was limited to 2 caps. He later played for  Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, Hartlepool United, B 1903, Beerschot, Northwich Victoria, Wrexham, Colne Dynamoes, Morecambe, Netherfield, Radcliffe Borough and Barrow.

LB: Gerry Byrne
Gerry Byrne was a graduate of Liverpool FC academy, where he spent his entire career.  From 1957 to 1969, Gerry Byrne played for Liverpool FC's senior team.  He was a part of the team that moved up from the Second Division in 1962.  He was a part of the club's early successes in the 1960's, including finishing as the Cup Winners' Cup runners-up in 1966.  For England, he only played twice.  He was a member of the 1966 World Cup winning team.

CM: Terry McDermott 
Terry McDermott was a member of the Liverpool team of the 1970s and early 1980s, in which he won three European Cups and six Division 1 titles. Before Liverpool, he played for Bury and Newcastle United. In 1974, Newcastle United lost the FA Cup Final to Liverpool, where he joined the following season.  He was also capped 25 times for the English national team.  He went to the European Championship in 1980 as well as the 1982 World Cup Finals.

Terry McDermott 

DM/RM: Jimmy Case
Known for having one of the hardest shots in the British game, he shot to fame with the powerful Liverpool side of the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a part of the team that won the European Cup winner in 1977, 1978 and 1981.  He was voted in at No. 45 in the 2006 poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop". He also played for Brighton, Southampton, Bournemouth, Halifax Town and Wrexham.  He appeared once for England in 1976.

CM/RM: Sammy Lee

Lee was known for his small in stature, but he established a reputation as a sharp-passing and strong-running midfield player.  He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder.  He won two European Cups in 1981 and 1984 as well as 4 league titles and League cups each. He also represented England fourteen times between 1982 and 1984. He also had playing spells at Queens Park Rangers, Osasuna, Southampton, and Bolton Wanderers.

CM: Jordan Henderson 
Henderson began his career at Sunderland in 2008, with a loan spell at Coventry City in 2009, before moving to Liverpool in 2011. He became captain of Liverpool in 2015 following the departure of Steven Gerrard. He was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 2020 after Liverpool won their first ever Premiership. In 2010, Henderson won his first cap for England.  He has represented the country at UEFA Euro 2012 and 2016, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

CM: Steve Gerrard 
Steve Gerrard represented his country at the 2000, 2004 and 2012 UEFA European Football Championships, as well as the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups – captaining the team at the latter two tournaments.  He led Liverpool in winning the Champions' League in 2005. He is the third highest cap holder for the Three Lions.  He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2006 and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009.  He later played in the USA for LA Galaxy.

Steve Gerrard

CM: Steve McMahon 

Steve McMahon most notably playing for Liverpool in the late 1980s. McMahon was placed in 42nd position in the '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' poll, which asked Red supporters to name the best 100 Liverpool players of all time. He also played for Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City, playing in the Premier League for the latter. He was capped 17 times by England between 1988 and 1990.  He appeared in the 1990 World Cup Finals.

RW: Ian Callaghan
Callaghan held the all-time appearance record for Liverpool.  He was a part of the team that made its historical promotion in 1962 and remained on the team as Liverpool won the European Cup twice in 1977 and 1978. Callaghan also played four times at senior level for England.  Although he was in the squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he did not play in the final and so did not receive a medal until 2010. He was FWA Player of the year in 1974.

LW: Ray Kennedy 
Ray Kennedy started his career with Arsenal, but better known for his career with Liverpool.  Liverpool broke their transfer record when they signed him in 1974. With Liverpool, he won three European Cup titles in 1977, 1978 and 1981.  He was a part of England's squad at the 1980 European Championship held in Italy. He had 17 caps between 1976 and 1980.

LW: John Barnes 
John Barnes was widely considered to be one of the greatest Liverpool players, where he formed one of their greatest team playing alongside Ian Rush, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton.  before joining Liverpool, he played for Watford.  At Watford, he also helped them to the Final of the FA Cup in 1984.  He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1988 and FWA Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1990. He had 79 caps, and played in two World Cup Finals.

John Barnes

FW: Roger Hunt 
Roger Hunt was a member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team.  He joined Liverpool in 1958 under Phil Taylor and he was one of the few players who was retained by Bill Shankly when he became the manager.  He helped Liverpool to gain their historical promotion in 1962 and was a key figure during their successes in the 1960's.  He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

FW/SS: Peter Beardsley 
Peter Beardsley was one of the few players i history to have played for Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City. His first successes came in the early 1980's while playing for Newcastle United.  In 1987, he joined Liverpool as the most expensive player in England's history.  Together with John Barnes, they formed one of the best English sides of the later 1980's.

ST: Michael Owen 
Michael Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996 as a teenager. In his first full season in the Premier League, he finished as joint top scorer with 18 goals. He repeated this the following year and was Liverpool's top goal-scorer from 1997–2004.  He helped Liverpool to win the UEFA Cup in 2001.  He also played for Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City.  For England, he earned 89 caps.  He was the youngest player to play for England in the 20th century as well as the youngest goal scorers.

Michael Owen

ST: Robbie Fowler
Fowler is best remembered for his time at Liverpool and is the sixth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. He scored 183 goals in total for Liverpool, where he played between 1993 and 2001. He was known as a member of the "Spice Boys".   He also played for Leeds United, Manchester City, Cardiff City FC, and Blackburn Rovers as well as clubs in Australia and Thailand. For England, he earned 26 caps.  He was a member of the 2002 World Cup team.

ST/SS: Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan was two-time European Footballer of the Year in 1978 and 1979. He won the European Cup in 1977 with Liverpool. He also found successes in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV, where he played between 1977 and 1980.  He later played for Southampton and Newcastle United after returning from Germany. He had 63 caps for England. However, his World Cup appearance was limited to 20 minutes against Spain at the World Cup Finals in 1982. 

Kevin Keegan

Honorable Mention
Ephraim Longworth, Larry Lloyd, Neil Ruddock, Gary Ablett, Joe Gomez, Glen Johnson, Rob Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chris Lawler, James Milner, Paul Ince, Gordon Milne, Jamie Redknapp, Danny Murphy, Jack Cox, Daniel Sturridge,  Alec Lindsey, Peter Thompson, Steve McManaman, Craig Johnstone, Harry Chambers, Phil Taylor, Gordon Hodgson, Albert Stubbins, David Johnson, Jack  Parkinson, Jack Balmer, Alan A'Court.

Squad Explanation
-- This team was created in 2018.  I redid it in December, 2024 after I reviewed my Liverpool All-Time team.

-- Ray Clemence, Kevin Keegan, John Barnes, Roger Hunt, Michael Owen, Steve Gerrard, Phil Neal, Jordan Henderson, Phil Thompson, Emlyn Hughes, Jamie Carragher, Alan Kennedy, Terry McDermott, Ray Kennedy, Ian Callaghan are members of my Liverpool All-Time Team.  I built this blog based upon that team. So, I only have 10 spaces to work with.

-- Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen were the key players for Liverpool in the 1970's, but the core of that team was still English.  Many of them were selected into this team.  Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Phil Thompson, Sammy Lee, Terry McDermott, Ray Kennedy, Alan Kennedy, Emlyn Hughes and Tommy Smith were from that generation.
-- The Spice Boys of the 1990's was better known for their fashion sense than trophy winning.  However, some of them were very good players.  Robbie Fowler and David James are on this all-time team.  Michael Owen and Steve Gerrard emerged a few years after them.

-- Jürgen Klopp bulit a powerful team between 2015 and 2024.  so far, I only added Jordan Henderson to the team.  
-- I based some of my research on the polls "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" voted by Liverpool fans in 2006 and again in 2013.  Most players were on the poll.  However, fan polls usually tended to favor contemporary players.  I only used them as a reference.

-- In 2022, Fourfourtwo ranked Liverpool's 50 greatest footballers. The top 25 were as follows: 2) Steven Gerrard, 5) John Barnes, 8) Roger Hunt, 10) Kevin Keegan, 14) Ian St John, 15) Emlyn Hughes, 17) Robbie Fowler, 18) Jamie Carragher, 19) Phil Thompson, 23) Tommy Smith, 25) Alan Kennedy, 26) Ray Clemence, 27) Terry McDermott, 30) Ray Kennedy, 32)  Trent Alexander-Arnold, 34) Jordan Henderson, 38) Sammy Lee, 39) Michael Owen, 40) Jimmy Case, 41) Gerry Byrne, 42) Steve McMahon, 45) Albert Stubbins, 47) James Milner and 48) Steve McManaman. Only 24 Englishmen were on their top 50.

Goalkeepers

-- Ray Clemence is an easy choice.  At his peak, he was rated as good as Peter Shilton.  In Liverpool, Clemence secured five league titles, three European Cups, and numerous other trophies. 

-- David James played the peak of his career being elsewhere, but he served as a dependable goalkeeper for Liverpool. He accumulated over 200 appearances for the club, once touted as England's upcoming star. A key figure in Graeme Souness and Roy Evans' squads during the 1990s, despite his occasional errors, James frequently made spectacular saves when needed most, contributing to the team's League Cup victory in 1995.

-- Sam Hardy was considered one of the best goalkeepers of his generation.  In Liverpool he had earned himself the nickname 'Safe and Steady Sam'. In 1998 Hardy appeared on the BBC's Football League 100 Legends list.

Sam Hardy

-- There were not many alternative choices after the three.  Charlie Ashcroft, Chris Kirkland and Russell Crossley were seldom used goalkeepers at their time. Arthur Riley was born in South Africa.  Athough he played represented an All-British XI in a game aganst a Football League XI in 1939,  I considered him South African.  

Defenders

-- Phil Thompson played under both manager Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.  He was also Alan Hansen's defensive partner, where the pair turned the club into the greatest in Europe. Known as "Crazy Horse", Emlyn Hughes won the Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1977.  He was a big part of the great team in the 1970's. Jamie Carragher did not get the same recognition as the defenders from the older generations. Perhaps, he was not playing in a generation, where Liverpool dominated English football.  Internationally, he was playing at the same time with John Terry, Rio Ferdinard, Sol Campbell, etc.  However, he is the second longest serving player in Liverpool FC's history.  He also won the Champions' League in 2005.  I took him over Mark Wright, Larry Lloyd and Neil Ruddock.

-- The decision for the final central defender position was between Mark Wright and Larry Lloyd. In the 1972/73 season, Lloyd, alongside Tommy Smith, secured the league and UEFA Cup double for Liverpool. Ultimately, Mark Wright was chosen over Larry Lloyd as the fourth center-back.   Liverpool set a record transfer fee for a defender in 1990 with the signing of Mark Wright.  He served as a captain for a few seasons.  Moreover, he was named on the PFA Team of the Year in the 1996-1997 season.

-- In 1993, Liverpool again broke the transfer fee for a defender when they signed Neil Ruddock.  He was a tough player infamous for his controversial tackles.  I also considered Joe Gomez.  Despite not always a starter, he has paid 10 seasons in Liverpool. Both players received honorable mentions.

Tommy Smith

-- Both Phil Neal and Tommy Smith were undisputed selections for the rightback position.  The "100 Players Who Shook the Kop" ranked Neal as the 30th greatest player while Smith finished at 24th.  Smith who grew up near Anfield was a central defender who later switched to the rightback position.  He was known as "Anfield Iron". I took him over Chris Lawler whom Smith and Neal would replace in Liverpool.  Trent Alexander-Arnold is relatively too young to be considered at this moment. 

--The FourFourtwo ranked Alan Kennedy as the 24th greatest player for the club. For the backup, I decided to take Gerry Byrne.  Byrne did not make my Liverpool All-Time team because I put Emlyn Hughes as my emergency leftback.  He was FourFourTwo's 41st greatest footballer for Liverpool.

-- Ephraim Longworth went back too far back in history.  I preferred more modern players.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- The FourFourTwo ranked Steve Gerrard as Liverpool's second greatest footballer, with Souness placed ninth. In the 2013 "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" list, Gerrard claimed the top spot, while Souness landed at 11th.  Gerrard's achievements included securing the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League title. He also holds the distinction of being Liverpool's longest-serving captain.  Souness played an integral role in securing three European Cups and five league titles, embodying the spirit and essence of the team throughout his tenure.

-- Terry McDermott was a strong contender, forming a dynamic midfield with Souness that led to numerous football victories.  Jimmy Case was ranked the 60th player from the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" in 2013.  He finished as the 40th player in the FourfourTwo list.

-- During the review of the team in 2024, I added Jordan Henderson to the team. As Liverpool's captain, he has led Liverpool to triumphs in domestic, European, and global competitions under manager Jurgen Klopp.  I also felt that this team needed more midfielders.  So, I also added Sammy Lee and Steve McMahon. 

-- McMahon was an important player for Liverpool in the late 1980's.  He was ranked in 42nd greatest footballer in the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" poll.  He was named on the PFA Team of the Year twice.  Meanwhile, Sammy Lee was ranked 47th in 2006 edition but 86th on the 2013 edition on the "100 Player" poll.  However, the FourFourTwo put him at 38th. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year once.  In terms of decoration, he won two European Cups as the unsung hero of that generation. I also considered James Milner.  Milner was a more versatile player than both Lee or McMahon.  He has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full back. 

Sammy Lee

-- Paul Ince only spent two seasons in Liverpool.  His time over here was not very fruitful, culminating in a fallout with manager Gerard Houllier. While his past with Manchester United did not influence my choice to exclude him, it is notable that he performed better during his time with the Red Devils.

-- Ian Callaghan held the all-time appearance record for Liverpool. He was a big part of Liverpool's historical promotion that put the club on pace to become one of the greatest clubs in Europe.  He could also play on the left.  Jimmy Case and Sammy Lee also played on the right midfield position.  So the backup spot was covered by them.

-- The left-wing position was filled with talented players. John Barnes stood out as one of Liverpool's greatest. Peter Thompson and Steve McManaman were also noteworthy left wingers, but I selected Ray Kennedy as Barnes' substitute. Bob Paisley successfully transformed Kennedy, formerly a forward, into a left-sided midfielder.

-- Australian-born Craig Johnston has represented England Under-21.  Thus, he was eligible, but I left him on the honorable mention only.

Forwards

-- Roger Hunt, Michael Owen and Kevin Keegan made my Liverpool All-Time Team.  After the three of them, I added Robbie Fowler and Peter Beardsley.

-- Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or (the European Player of the Year) and was a top scorer for Liverpool while helping them secure the 2001 UEFA Cup. However, he departed for Real Madrid in 2004, just before Liverpool's triumph in the 2005 Champions League. Despite his departure, Owen spent a significant 8 seasons at the club.  

-- Roger Hunt spent eleven years at Liverpool, becoming the club's leading goalscorer with 285 goals, a record later surpassed by Ian Rush.

-- Kevin Keegan achieved success by winning every available domestic title during his time at Liverpool. Nonetheless, his tenure at the club lasted only 6 seasons.  He secured two Ballon d'Or awards during his spell at Hamburger SV. But how could I leave him off the team?

-- Peter Beardsley had played for two of Liverpool's most significant rivals. He was a member of Manchester United, but he never played a single game for them.  Later, he made a direct switch from Liverpool to Everton and he also had a stint with Manchester City. Despite these movements, I selected him due to his role as John Barnes' striking partner. During his four-year tenure with the club, he earned a place on the PFA Team of the Year twice.

-- Robbie Fowler is the sixth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League.  He ranked 7th in Liverpool All-Time leading scorer.  

Robbie Fowler

-- Albert Stubbins’ fame also earned him a place on the front cover of the Beatles’ ‘Sergeant Pepper’ album.  Gordon Hodgson who represented South Africa later played for England which made him eligible for a place on the honorable mention. I researched into Harry Chambers, but I decided to stay with the younger players.

Formation