As the most successful club in English football, six-time Champions League winners, Liverpool have been calling in some of their best players. From the glory days of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, when Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan and Kenny Daglish were Liverpool darlings, to modern times when Salah, Mane, Van Dijk and others have written their names into Anfield folklore, Liverpool people have never lacked heroes. However, only 11 people have been able to occupy a place in the dream team of the greatest team in the history of football...
Goalkeeper: Ray Clemens
Alisson may one day challenge – or even replace Clemens as Liverpool's greatest goalkeeper of all time – but there is only one option now. Only three players have made more appearances in the Reds than Clemens, who made 665 appearances between 1968 and 1981, and few have had a better record. Clemens has won 13 major honours at Anfield, including five league titles and three Champions League titles. That's not bad for someone who only spent £18,000 when signing from Scunthorpe.
Right winger: Phil Neil
What, no Arnold?! Well, no. Not yet anyway. The Liverpool homegrown hero will undoubtedly be in the all-time squad in the coming years, but how can we ignore the best player in Anfield history? Phil Neal was Bob Paisley's first signing as Reds manager in 1974 and left in 1985 to win eight league titles, four Champions Leagues, four League Cups, one League Cup and one Super Cup. He made 650 appearances and scored 59 goals, including two winning goals in the European finals. He may not have passed like Alexander-Arnold, but he is a Liverpool legend.
Centre-back: Alain Hansen
One of the many great Scotsmen who have represented the Reds, Hansen is widely regarded as the greatest Reds defender of all time and has won 17 major honours and is one of the most honoured players at the club. Known for his composure, judgment of the game and ability to carry the ball from the defensive line, he was Liverpool captain for nearly 200 times before injuries brought his career to an early end in 1991. He later became a highly respected football commentator.
Centre-back: Van
One of the greatest players of modern times, Van Dijk will surely compete with Hansen for Liverpool's greatest centre-back ever after his journey at Anfield. In January 2018, the Dutchman joined from Southampton, setting a record for club signings. Every penny of his £75 million proved worth it. Domineering in the air, flawless on the turf, a true leader in every sense. Without him, any success for the club under Klopp's leadership would not have been possible.
Left-back: Andy Robertson
Robertson was the opponent of 1989 Footballer of the Year Steve Nicole and Gerry Byrne, who fractured his collarbone in the 1965 FA Cup final, and he was the other half of Liverpool's modern attacking defender combination. In 2017, the Scots came here in a low-key manner from Hull City, and under Klopp's guidance, the Scots have developed into one of the best full-backs in the world. Like his great partner Arnold, he assisted to help his team-mates better, and his energy and speed have been crucial to Liverpool's success in recent years.
Centre-forward: Soness
Today, he is perhaps best known for his mean, outspoken authority, but before that, Soness was one of the most inspiring midfielders in English football history. A ferocious midfielder, the Scotsman has a hammer-like shot and a superb range of passes, making more than 350 appearances for Liverpool and winning five league titles, three Champions Leagues and four League Cups in Merseyside in just six years. He captained the Champions League final in Rome in 1984, his last match for the club, and later won the FA Cup while head coaching.
Centre-forward: Steve Gerrard
Liverpool's greatest player of all time? Gerrard's name will definitely be mentioned. Only two players have played more for the Reds than he has, and only four have scored more goals than him. No one was better than him. Gerrard is a brilliant all-around player who can tackle the ball as well as a pass or dribble as well as a dribble, and he has captained the Reds nearly 500 times, a measure of all future midfielders. In this lineup he can play almost any position as a non-goalkeeper. That's proof of how good he is.
Right winger: Salah
How could the king of Egypt not have a place in this dream team? From the day he arrived at Anfield in 2018, Salah set new standards in scoring goals and his relentless pursuit of honour. One record after another was broken, and one trophy after another followed. Salah scored just 159 games for Liverpool to score 100 goals – only Roger Hunt and Jack Parkinson scored faster – and the Egyptians are already on the list of the 10 most goalscoring players in club history. He has won three Premier League Golden Boot awards and two PFA Player of the Year awards in five seasons, and that's just one aspect of his impact on Merseyside.
Front: Kenny Dalglish
When they call you king and name a stand after you, you know you're doing the right thing at the club. Perhaps the most iconic figure in Liverpool's history, Dalglish has received honours as both a player and a coach. After signing for Kevin Keegan in 1977, he made 515 appearances and scored 172 goals, forming a strong partnership with super scorer Ian Rush. He took over as manager in 1985 and led the Reds to league and cup doubles in his first season. His leadership and humanity after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster cemented his place in the hearts and minds of fans. For many, King Kenny will never be surpassed.
Left winger: John Barnes
Is there a more exciting scene for Liverpool fans than Barnes running at full speed to the left? After coming to Anfield from Watford in 1987, he was elegant, perfect, balanced, fast and technical, and in his first three seasons he led Liverpool to two league titles and an FA Cup. Along with Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge, he became one of the most exciting and free-spirited goalscorers in the club's history. Injuries shortened his peak time, but he still found a way to reinvent himself as a good, controlling midfielder. In 1997 , he left the team after making more than 400 appearances and scoring more than 100 goals.
Center: Ian Rush
He is the greatest goalscorer in Liverpool history, which is why he was able to beat Kevin Keegan, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Roberto Firmino to gain this unique position. Rush scored 346 goals in 660 games and won 14 major trophies for the Reds. He is an indomitable pressuremaker and an excellent finisher, and in the history of the Merseyside derby, he is also the record holder for Liverpool's most goals scored.