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| Hansen, Dalglish and Souness |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index
Liverpool Greatest All-Time Team
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. A few years, Ian Rush of Wales emerged and became a legend of the club.
This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for non-English players from the British Isles who had played for Liverpool FC. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League. I have created an all-time Liverpool team for English players only and foreign players.
GK: Elisha Scott (Northern Ireland)
Scott played 31 times for Ireland(IFA). He played for Liverpool from 1912 to 1934 and he remains as the longest-serving goalkeeper for Liverpool. His career was interrupted by the First World War. He won two English Championships with them. He was known for his rivalry with Everton's Dixie Dean. He also played with Belfast Celtic and Linfield.
GK: Matt McQueen (Scotland)
Matt McQueen played in Scotland before joining Liverpool. Both Matt and his brother Hugh played in Liverpool's first-ever Football League match against Middlesbrough Ironopolis at the Paradise Field on 2 September 1893. He also played in various position that season. He is the only man in English football history to have won championship winner's medals as both an outfield player and a goalkeeper. He was capped twice.
RB: Steve Nicol (Scotland)
Steve Nicol won five Football League First Division titles, three FA Cup winners medals, and the 1984 European Cup during his 14 years with Liverpool. He was a versatile player who appeared in many positions. Nicol also played with Notts County, Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster Rovers. He earned 27 caps for Scotland. He made his debut in 1984 against Yugoslavia. He went to the 1985 World Cup Finals in Mexico.
RB: Steve Finnan (Ireland)
Steve Finnan played 52 internationals for the Republic from his debut in 2000, scoring twice. He played for them at the 2002 World Cup. He had played all four levels of the English levels. He is best remembered for his 5 seasons with Liverpool. He is the only player to have played in the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup, all four levels of the English league football and the Football Conference
CB: Ron Yeats (Scotland)
Ron Yeats joined Liverpool in 1961 from Dundee United. He was the captain of the Liverpool side that won the promotion to the top level and began nearly 25 years of successes in England. He then spent a decade at Liverpool captaining them to three trophies in the mid 1960s. He later had three years as player/manager at Tranmere Rovers. He was also player/manager at Barrow and Santa Barbara Condors.
CB: Mark Lawrenson (Ireland)
A key defender for Liverpool in the 1980's. He won one European Cup and 5 league titles. He played for Ireland between 1977 and 1987. He helped Ireland to qualify for its first ever major tournament in 1988, but an injury prevented him from going to Euro 1988. Ireland went on to qualify for the next four tournaments, biut he already retired by then.
CB: Gary Gillespie (Scotland)
Gillespie started his career at his local club Falkirk, captaining the side at 17. He was sold to Coventry City in 1978 before he turned 18. From 1983 to 1991, he played for Liverpool, winning the 1984 European Cup. He then played three seasons with Celtic. From 1987 to 1991, he played 13 times for Scotland. He went to the 1990 World Cup Finals.
CB: Alex Raisbeck (Scotland)
Raisbeck made his professional debut at the age of 17 with Hibernian. Then, he played briefly for Stoke before joining Liverpool in 1898. He played over 300 appearances during an eleven-year spell before returning to play for Partick Thistle. He retired in 1914. He also represented the Scotland national team on nine occasions between 1900 and 1907.
SW: Alan Hansen (Scotland)
Among the greatest defender ever from United Kingdom. He won three European Cups and 8 English league titles with the great Liverpool team of the 1970's and 1980's. Despite being one pf the greatest ever centerback from the UK, Hansen only won 26 Scotland caps, largely because Scotland preferred the formidable central defensive partnership between Willie Miller and Alex McLeish at Aberdeen. he played in the 1982 WC Finals, but he left off controversially the World Cup in 1986.
LB: Donald McKinlay (Scotland)
Donald McKinlay played local football with Newton Swifts, Rutherglen Woodburn and Newton Villa before joining Liverpool in 1910. He captained the club from January 1922 to 1928, and made 434 appearances for the club, including 393 in the league. Liverpool were league champions two years in succession in 1921/22 and 1922/23 in the first two seasons of his captaincy. He played twice for Scotland in 1922.
LB: Andrew Robertson (Scotland)
FW/LH: Jimmy McDougall (Scotland)
Dougall played for Port Glasgow Athletic and Partick Thistle before George Patterson signed him for Liverpool in 1928. He played with them until January 1938. He was capped twice in 1931 during Scotland's tour of Europe. He made his debut against Austria. In his second international, he captured Scotland against Italy in Rome in a 3-0 loss.
CM: Graeme Souness (Scotland)
Graeme Souness played for Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Sampdoria, but his greatest achievement came while he played for Liverpool. He was one of the greatest ever Liverpool players. He won three European Cups with them, captaining the team in the early 1980's. He was also the Player-Manager for Rangers. He also earned 54 caps for Scotland. He played in 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.
ST: Ian Rush (Wales)
Rush was voted as the third greatest Liverpool player by fans in 2013. He is the Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer, with 346 goals. He won both the PFA Player of the year and FWA Player of the Year in 1984. He was European Golden Boot winner in the same year. He also had short spells with Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Rush made 73 appearances for Wales between 1980 and 1996.
ST: John Toshack (Wales)
John Toshack started with Cardiff and joined Liverpool in 1970. At Liverpool, he formed a great partner with Kevin Keegan. He won the First Division in 1973, 1976 and 1977, the FA Cup in 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976. In 1978, he joined Swansea as a player-manager. He led the club to jump from 4th divsion to 1st division in 3 years. He earned 40 caps with Wales between 1969 and 1980.
ST: John Aldridge (Ireland)
John Aldridge is still the 6th highest goal scorer in the history of English football. He was best remembered with his career at Liverpool from 1987 and 1989. He joined the club as a replacement for Ian Rush. He linked up with Peter Beardsley and John Barnes to form one of the most exciting attacking lines in the club's history. He had 69 caps. He played in Euro 1988, and with 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals.
ST: Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)
"King Kenny" was the greatest player for Liverppol in an era where Liverpool was considered to be among the greatest club sides in history. He won 3 European Cups with them. He is the cap record holder and their top ever scorer for Scotland. He won the Ballon d'Or Silver Award in 1983, the PFA Player of the Year in 1983, and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2009 FourFourTwo named Dalglish as the greatest striker in post-war British football.
Honorable Mention
Tommy Younger (Scotland), Bert Slater (Scotland), Billy Dunlop (Scotland), Joey Jones (Wales), Steve Staunton (Ireland), Phil Babb (Ireland), Andrew Hannah (Scotland), Jim Beglin (Ireland), Ray Lambert (Wales), Brian Hall (Scotland), Willie Stevenson (Scotland), Jason McAteer (Ireland), Joe Allen (Wales), Jimmy McDougall (Scotland), (Scotland), Dominic Matteo (Scotland), Willie Stevenson (Scotland), Brian Hall (Scotland), Dean Saunders (Wales), Bobby Graham (Scotland), Craig Bellamy (Wales).
Squad Explanation
-- This team was created in 2018. I did a massive review in December, 2024.
-- At one point, Liverpool was known as 'Liddellpool' so Billy Liddell is undisputed on the left. He was placed sixth in the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop". Then, I took Steve Heighway as a backup. He was placed 23rd on the same poll. With Liverpool, he won 2 European Cups, 2 UEFA Cups, 4 league titles, an FA Cup, League Cup and a UEFA Super Cup. Jimmy McDougall operated as an inside left before joining Liverpool. In Liverpool, he was placed as a left-half. Ronnie Whelan also played on the left.
-- Dean Saunders spent only a season with Anfield. So I cannot take him. Robbie Keane also spent a brief and unsuccessful time here.
Liverpool Greatest All-Time Team
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. A few years, Ian Rush of Wales emerged and became a legend of the club.
This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for non-English players from the British Isles who had played for Liverpool FC. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League. I have created an all-time Liverpool team for English players only and foreign players.
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| John Aldridge and Ian Rush |
Team
GK: Tommy Lawrence (Scotland)
From 1957 to 1970, Tommy Lawrence played for Liverpool FC. He was Liverpool's goalkeeper during the rise of the club in the early 1960's under Bill Shankly. He left the club in 1970 to make the way for Ray Clemence. He then played for Tranmere Rovers between 1970 and 1973. He was capped three times in his career for Scotland between 1963 and 1969. His second cap was against West Germany in the World Cup Qualifier in 1969.
GK: Tommy Lawrence (Scotland)
From 1957 to 1970, Tommy Lawrence played for Liverpool FC. He was Liverpool's goalkeeper during the rise of the club in the early 1960's under Bill Shankly. He left the club in 1970 to make the way for Ray Clemence. He then played for Tranmere Rovers between 1970 and 1973. He was capped three times in his career for Scotland between 1963 and 1969. His second cap was against West Germany in the World Cup Qualifier in 1969.
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| Tommy Lawrence |
Scott played 31 times for Ireland(IFA). He played for Liverpool from 1912 to 1934 and he remains as the longest-serving goalkeeper for Liverpool. His career was interrupted by the First World War. He won two English Championships with them. He was known for his rivalry with Everton's Dixie Dean. He also played with Belfast Celtic and Linfield.
GK: Matt McQueen (Scotland)
Matt McQueen played in Scotland before joining Liverpool. Both Matt and his brother Hugh played in Liverpool's first-ever Football League match against Middlesbrough Ironopolis at the Paradise Field on 2 September 1893. He also played in various position that season. He is the only man in English football history to have won championship winner's medals as both an outfield player and a goalkeeper. He was capped twice.
RB: Steve Nicol (Scotland)
Steve Nicol won five Football League First Division titles, three FA Cup winners medals, and the 1984 European Cup during his 14 years with Liverpool. He was a versatile player who appeared in many positions. Nicol also played with Notts County, Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster Rovers. He earned 27 caps for Scotland. He made his debut in 1984 against Yugoslavia. He went to the 1985 World Cup Finals in Mexico.
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| Steve Nicol |
Steve Finnan played 52 internationals for the Republic from his debut in 2000, scoring twice. He played for them at the 2002 World Cup. He had played all four levels of the English levels. He is best remembered for his 5 seasons with Liverpool. He is the only player to have played in the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup, all four levels of the English league football and the Football Conference
CB: Ron Yeats (Scotland)
Ron Yeats joined Liverpool in 1961 from Dundee United. He was the captain of the Liverpool side that won the promotion to the top level and began nearly 25 years of successes in England. He then spent a decade at Liverpool captaining them to three trophies in the mid 1960s. He later had three years as player/manager at Tranmere Rovers. He was also player/manager at Barrow and Santa Barbara Condors.
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| Ron Yeats |
A key defender for Liverpool in the 1980's. He won one European Cup and 5 league titles. He played for Ireland between 1977 and 1987. He helped Ireland to qualify for its first ever major tournament in 1988, but an injury prevented him from going to Euro 1988. Ireland went on to qualify for the next four tournaments, biut he already retired by then.
CB: Gary Gillespie (Scotland)
Gillespie started his career at his local club Falkirk, captaining the side at 17. He was sold to Coventry City in 1978 before he turned 18. From 1983 to 1991, he played for Liverpool, winning the 1984 European Cup. He then played three seasons with Celtic. From 1987 to 1991, he played 13 times for Scotland. He went to the 1990 World Cup Finals.
CB: Alex Raisbeck (Scotland)
Raisbeck made his professional debut at the age of 17 with Hibernian. Then, he played briefly for Stoke before joining Liverpool in 1898. He played over 300 appearances during an eleven-year spell before returning to play for Partick Thistle. He retired in 1914. He also represented the Scotland national team on nine occasions between 1900 and 1907.
SW: Alan Hansen (Scotland)
Among the greatest defender ever from United Kingdom. He won three European Cups and 8 English league titles with the great Liverpool team of the 1970's and 1980's. Despite being one pf the greatest ever centerback from the UK, Hansen only won 26 Scotland caps, largely because Scotland preferred the formidable central defensive partnership between Willie Miller and Alex McLeish at Aberdeen. he played in the 1982 WC Finals, but he left off controversially the World Cup in 1986.
LB: Donald McKinlay (Scotland)
Donald McKinlay played local football with Newton Swifts, Rutherglen Woodburn and Newton Villa before joining Liverpool in 1910. He captained the club from January 1922 to 1928, and made 434 appearances for the club, including 393 in the league. Liverpool were league champions two years in succession in 1921/22 and 1922/23 in the first two seasons of his captaincy. He played twice for Scotland in 1922.
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| Donald McKinlay |
Andrew Robertson's career began with Queen's Park in 2012 before moving to Dundee United a year later. After a successful spell at Hull City, he joined Liverpool in 2017. With Liverpool, he won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, also earning individual accolades like PFA Team of the Year. Robertson captained Scotland, featuring in UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, becoming Scotland's most capped male captain by June 2024.
FW/LH: Jimmy McDougall (Scotland)
Dougall played for Port Glasgow Athletic and Partick Thistle before George Patterson signed him for Liverpool in 1928. He played with them until January 1938. He was capped twice in 1931 during Scotland's tour of Europe. He made his debut against Austria. In his second international, he captured Scotland against Italy in Rome in a 3-0 loss.
CM: Graeme Souness (Scotland)
Graeme Souness played for Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Sampdoria, but his greatest achievement came while he played for Liverpool. He was one of the greatest ever Liverpool players. He won three European Cups with them, captaining the team in the early 1980's. He was also the Player-Manager for Rangers. He also earned 54 caps for Scotland. He played in 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.
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| Graeme Souness |
CM/RM: Peter Cormack (Scotland)
Peter Cormack played for played for Hibernian, Toronto City, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Partick Thistle, but he was best remembered for his career with Liverpool between 1972 and 1976. His transfer fees marched Liverpool's record at the time. In the 1972-1973 season, Liverpool won the League Cup/UEFA Cup Double. In 1976, Liverpool won anther UEFA Cup, but he had a minor role. He went to the 1974 World Cup Finals.
RW/CM: Ray Houghton (Ireland)
Born in Scotland, he was capped 73 times for the Republic. He was best remembered for scoring the winning goal against England at the European Cup in 1988 and then, another winning goal against Italy at the World Cup Finals in 1994. He was also remembered for his career at Liverpool, where he played with John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and John Barnes. He won two league titles with them.
CM/RM: Gary McAllister (Scotland)
Garry McAllister started with Motherwell before heading to play in England. He had a lengthy career with Leicester City, Leeds United and Coventry between 1985 and 2000. Then, he played two seasons with Liverpool, winning the 2000 UEFA Cup. In the final, he scored one, and had a hand in three, of the five Liverpool goals in a memorable 5–4 victory. He was awarded the Man of the Match. He had over 50 caps, appearing a single World Cup Finals and two European Championship.
LM/CM: Ronnie Whelan (Ireland)
Ronnie Whelan played for Liverpool during the 1980's, where he won the 1983-1984 European Cup and 6 league titles. He was ranked the 30th greatest player for Liverpool. Whelan finished his career at Southend United, where he was also player-manager. He was capped 53 times, and played at Euro 1988 and the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994 for the Republic of Ireland.
LW: Steve Heighway (Ireland)
Between 1970 and 1981, Steve Heighway played over 300 games for Liverpool. He was a part of the great team that won back-to-back European Cup in 1977 and 1978, and two UEFA Cup 1972–73 and 1975–76. He was named the 26th in 2006 for the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop." He earned 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland between 1970 and 1981. It was due to Heighway's academic achievements that he got his nickname 'Big Bamber'.
LW/RW/SS: Billy Liddell (Scotland)
Billy Liddell was one of the early star for Liverpool. He spent his entire career at Liverpool starting from 1938 to 1961. He was at one point the appearance record holder for Liverpool. He was voted the 6th greatest player for them. He represented Scotland at international level on 29 occasions as well as for Great Britain and wartime representative side. He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.
FW: Ian St John (Scotland)
From 1957 to 1961, St John played for Motherwell in Scotland, where he was known as a member of "Ancell Babes". From 1961 to 1971, he played for Liverpool, where he helped the club to gain their famous promotion in 1962 and won the league title in the 1963-1964 season. He won another league title in 1966. He played 21 times for Scotland 21 times. He made his debut in a 3–2 friendly victory over Germany in 1959.
Born in Scotland, he was capped 73 times for the Republic. He was best remembered for scoring the winning goal against England at the European Cup in 1988 and then, another winning goal against Italy at the World Cup Finals in 1994. He was also remembered for his career at Liverpool, where he played with John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and John Barnes. He won two league titles with them.
CM/RM: Gary McAllister (Scotland)
Garry McAllister started with Motherwell before heading to play in England. He had a lengthy career with Leicester City, Leeds United and Coventry between 1985 and 2000. Then, he played two seasons with Liverpool, winning the 2000 UEFA Cup. In the final, he scored one, and had a hand in three, of the five Liverpool goals in a memorable 5–4 victory. He was awarded the Man of the Match. He had over 50 caps, appearing a single World Cup Finals and two European Championship.
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| Gary McAllister |
Ronnie Whelan played for Liverpool during the 1980's, where he won the 1983-1984 European Cup and 6 league titles. He was ranked the 30th greatest player for Liverpool. Whelan finished his career at Southend United, where he was also player-manager. He was capped 53 times, and played at Euro 1988 and the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994 for the Republic of Ireland.
LW: Steve Heighway (Ireland)
Between 1970 and 1981, Steve Heighway played over 300 games for Liverpool. He was a part of the great team that won back-to-back European Cup in 1977 and 1978, and two UEFA Cup 1972–73 and 1975–76. He was named the 26th in 2006 for the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop." He earned 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland between 1970 and 1981. It was due to Heighway's academic achievements that he got his nickname 'Big Bamber'.
LW/RW/SS: Billy Liddell (Scotland)
Billy Liddell was one of the early star for Liverpool. He spent his entire career at Liverpool starting from 1938 to 1961. He was at one point the appearance record holder for Liverpool. He was voted the 6th greatest player for them. He represented Scotland at international level on 29 occasions as well as for Great Britain and wartime representative side. He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.
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| Billy Liddell |
From 1957 to 1961, St John played for Motherwell in Scotland, where he was known as a member of "Ancell Babes". From 1961 to 1971, he played for Liverpool, where he helped the club to gain their famous promotion in 1962 and won the league title in the 1963-1964 season. He won another league title in 1966. He played 21 times for Scotland 21 times. He made his debut in a 3–2 friendly victory over Germany in 1959.
ST: Ian Rush (Wales)
Rush was voted as the third greatest Liverpool player by fans in 2013. He is the Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer, with 346 goals. He won both the PFA Player of the year and FWA Player of the Year in 1984. He was European Golden Boot winner in the same year. He also had short spells with Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Rush made 73 appearances for Wales between 1980 and 1996.
ST: John Toshack (Wales)
John Toshack started with Cardiff and joined Liverpool in 1970. At Liverpool, he formed a great partner with Kevin Keegan. He won the First Division in 1973, 1976 and 1977, the FA Cup in 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976. In 1978, he joined Swansea as a player-manager. He led the club to jump from 4th divsion to 1st division in 3 years. He earned 40 caps with Wales between 1969 and 1980.
ST: John Aldridge (Ireland)
John Aldridge is still the 6th highest goal scorer in the history of English football. He was best remembered with his career at Liverpool from 1987 and 1989. He joined the club as a replacement for Ian Rush. He linked up with Peter Beardsley and John Barnes to form one of the most exciting attacking lines in the club's history. He had 69 caps. He played in Euro 1988, and with 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals.
ST: Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)
"King Kenny" was the greatest player for Liverppol in an era where Liverpool was considered to be among the greatest club sides in history. He won 3 European Cups with them. He is the cap record holder and their top ever scorer for Scotland. He won the Ballon d'Or Silver Award in 1983, the PFA Player of the Year in 1983, and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2009 FourFourTwo named Dalglish as the greatest striker in post-war British football.
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| Kenny Dalglish |
Tommy Younger (Scotland), Bert Slater (Scotland), Billy Dunlop (Scotland), Joey Jones (Wales), Steve Staunton (Ireland), Phil Babb (Ireland), Andrew Hannah (Scotland), Jim Beglin (Ireland), Ray Lambert (Wales), Brian Hall (Scotland), Willie Stevenson (Scotland), Jason McAteer (Ireland), Joe Allen (Wales), Jimmy McDougall (Scotland), (Scotland), Dominic Matteo (Scotland), Willie Stevenson (Scotland), Brian Hall (Scotland), Dean Saunders (Wales), Bobby Graham (Scotland), Craig Bellamy (Wales).
Squad Explanation
-- This team was created in 2018. I did a massive review in December, 2024.
-- Ireland is an independent country, but it is still a part of the British Isles. So, I am including players from the Republic.
-- Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and Grame Souness are automatic selections.
-- 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 players eligible for this team were as follows: 1) Kenny Dalglish, 6) Ian Rush, 9) Graeme Souness, 11) Billy Liddell, 13) Alan Hansen, 14) Ian St John, 20) Ron Yeats, 21) Steve Heighway, 28) Mark Lawrenson, 29) Andrew Robertson, 31) Ronnie Whelan, 37) John Toshack, 44) John Aldridge, 46) Tommy Lawrence and 50) Steve Nicol.
-- As expected, this all-time team is dominated by Scottish players. I have 15 players from Scotland. Billy Liddell, Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness made my all-time team for Liverpool. When considering the historical contributions of English and Scottish players at an English club, where English players are traditionally expected to dominate, the success and impact of Scottish footballers such as Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen and Graeme Souness can indeed be seen as particularly noteworthy. While it may be challenging to make direct comparisons between players of different nationalities, the decorated history of Scottish players at Liverpool stands out, with their achievements often rivaling or even surpassing those of their English counterparts.
-- Six players were from Ireland, but none of them made my all-time team for Liverpool. However, John Aldridge, Ronnie Whelan and Mark Lawrenson were household names for Liverpool fans. Two were from Wales. Ian Rush made my all-time team for Liverpool. John Toshack was the famous striker partner of Kevin Keegan. Billy Shankly broke the club transfer record to sign him in 1970. Elisha Scott is the only player from Northern Ireland selected. According to transmarkt, only 11 players from there ever played for Liverpool FC. Connor Bradley is still a long way from being considered.
-- Since the 2000's, the Premiership is having lesser and lesser players from British Isles playing in their clubs. Andrew Robertson, Steve Finnan and Gary McAllister were the only players of note who played in the 2000's.
-- This team is probably one of the the oldest of all my blog teams. Billy Dunlop, Alex Raisbeck and Matt McQueen started their Liverpool career in the 19th Century. Elisha Scott and Donald McKinlay joined the club before the First World War. Jimmy McDougall played between the two World Wars.
Goalkeepers
-- Tommy Lawrence was listed in the "100 Liverpool Players who shaped the Kop" polls of both 2006 and 2013. He played a crucial role during Bill Shankly's reign at Liverpool. On the other hand, Elisha Scott, who played over 500 matches for Liverpool, holds the record for being their longest-serving player. The contributions of both players were highly regarded. Both were almost disputed.
-- The third goalkeeper went to Matt McQueen who was elected in Liverpool Hall of Flame. He played in Liverpool's first-ever Football League match, giving him a historical importance to the team. I don't have another alternative canadidate. Tommy Younger gained fame for his participation in the 1958 World Cup Finals representing Scotland. For Liverpool, he was a starter for a few seasons only. Similarly, Bert Slater was also a starter for a few seasons before being displaced by Tommy Lawrence. Both did not have a Hall of Flamer type of career with Liverpool.
Defenders
-- Alan Hansen formed partnership with both Mark Lawrenson and Phil Thompson. Both partnership was legendary. He is widely considered Liverpool's greatest central defender. He won 3 European Cups and 10 league titles. He also captained Liverpool as they won the league/FA Cup double in 1986.
-- Ron Yeats was probably the best central defender not chosen by my Liverpool Greatest All-Time team. As captain, he led Liverpool to promotion to the top tier, initiating a glorious era of success that spanned nearly 25 years in England. He then spent a decade at Liverpool captaining them to three trophies in the mid 1960s. I gave him credit for being the leader of the team that changed the fortune of the club. Alex Raisbeck also nearly made that team, but I opted for younger players. His name came up frequently during my research. Mark Lawrenson, the 4th central defender selected, was undoubtedly a standout player in his own right. He also needed no introduction.
-- The 25th and the last player was difficult to select. So I took Gary Gillespie who was the most famous player not yet selected. He would be my 5th centerback. Phil Babb also made honorable mention.
-- Steve Nicol perhaps should be on my Liverpool All-Time team. He was almost on par with both Phil Neal and Tommy Smith who selected for that All-Time team. Andrew Hannah was a part of Liverpool's first ever game, He was also their captain. But I went with Steve Finnan.
-- Donald McKinlay is a member of Liverpool FC's Hall of Flame. In 2018, I opted for Billy Dunlop over Joey Jones and Steve Staunton due to Dunlop's longer tenure at Liverpool. However, Andrew Robertson has since accumulated a wealth of prestigious individual awards, including multiple PFA Team of the Year nods in the Premier League and appearances in the Champions League Squad of the Season, UEFA Team of the Year, and the ESM Team of the Year. Consequently, Dunlop has been supplanted by Robertson. Mark Lawrenson also played as a leftback.
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| Andrew Robertson |
Midfielders/Winger
--FourFourTwo ranked Graeme Souness placed as their ninth greatest footballer for Liverpool. In the 2013 "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" list, he landed at 11th. He played an integral role in securing three European Cups and five league titles, embodying the spirit and essence of the team throughout his tenure. Ronnie Whelan played for Liverpool during the 1980's, where he won the 1983-1984 European Cup and 6 league titles. He was ranked the 30th greatest player for Liverpool. He was an unsung hero in his time. By the mid-1970's, manager Bob Paisley did not usually use wingers. So, in the early 1980's, Whelan functioned as a left midfielder until the arrival of John Barnes. By then, manager Kenny Dalglish favored a wing attack, in which Whelan was moved to the central of the midfield next to Steve McMahon. So, he could use in several positions.
-- Gary McAllister was 35 years old when he joined Liverpool, but he still became an all-time great in Liverpool. He was named as number 32 in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop survey. Normally, he played on the center, but he also played on the right side.
-- I was an Ipswich fan around the 1980's. I thought John Wark's career was better at Ipswich. He was signed as a replacement for Grame Souness. He never really fit into the team. He also had some injury issues. However, he was Liverpool's leading goalscorer with 27 goals in his first full season ahead of Ian Rush. Regrettably, it was his only good season. Meanwhile, Peter Cormack was a central and right side midfielder. he played steadiy for Liverpool between 1972 and 1976 under both Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. He was a contributor to the League/UEFA Cup Doule in 1973.
-- On the right, I selected Ray Houghton who was more of a right midfielder. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year in the 1991-1992 season. Jason McAteer was best remembered as a member of the Spice Boy. In the playing field, he only managed a second place finish at the FA Cup. I left him off the team and used Garry McAllister as backup right midfielder. Billy Liddell could also be deployed there.
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| Ray Houghton |
Forwards
-- Kenny Dalglish was probably Liverpool's greatest player. He capped off his impressive first season at Anfield in the best way possible -- scoring the only goal in the 1978 European Cup final against Club Brugge. He later became a player-manager at the club. At the time of writing, Ian Rush remained Liverpool's All-Time leading scorer. He won many individual awards at the club. Rush and Dalglish formed a legendary strike partner with the club.-- Ian St John was a key player under Bill Shankly in the 1960s, forming a lethal strike duo with Roger Hunt. In 425 matches, he scored 118 goals and clinched one Second Division title and three league titles with Liverpool. He was an important player during Liverpool's rise in the 1960's.
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| Ian St John |
-- This team had too many strikers, but I could not leave out John Toshack and John Aldridge. Besides, what other players could I select in their places? Through the 1970's, Toshack provided the aerial attack to formed a brilliant front line with Kevin Keegan. Aldridge joined the club as a replacement for Ian Rush. They even looked alike. He linked up with Peter Beardsley and John Barnes to form one of the most exciting attacking lines in the club's history. The Fourfourtwo ranked Toshack and Aldridge 37th and 44th respectively greatest ever footballers for this club.
Formation
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