In the 30 years since the Premier League took flight, Liverpool has had a long list of influential figures who wrote themselves into the history books in one way or another.
On August 15, 1992, the rebranding of the English top flight was complete as the Premier League‘s first season commenced.
In the 30 years since its inception, Liverpool has seen eight managers take their position in the dugout and countless players added to the fold in search of continued success.
They have not all put their name in lights, but for many, their influence will stand the time.
Here are 30 of Liverpool’s most influential figures, in no particular order, and one of their best moments in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard
Captain Fantastic himself, you could make just a single piece dedicated to his brilliance but his love affair with scoring toward the East Stand at Old Trafford was a sight to behold.
The goals themselves, the runs to the corner where the away fans were celebrating in euphoria and the kisses to the camera – we’ll never grow tired of seeing the images!
Jordan Henderson
It’s a pretty obvious choice, isn’t it?
The Premier League trophy receiving the Jordan Henderson shuffle as a 30-year wait came to a close, a moment that still triggers goosebumps.
Jamie Carragher
You’re not short on options with Carragher, his first start and goal against Aston Villa in 1997 is right up there, but so is playing on with a broken rib back in 2007 at Sunderland.
He came off second best in a collision with Pepe Reina and played on before reluctantly being forced off with 15 minutes left to play, it would be later confirmed that he had a broken rib and collapsed lung.
A moment that encapsulates all that is Jamie Carragher.
Jurgen Klopp
‘From doubters to believers’. The job Klopp has done with Liverpool is nothing short of remarkable and that he guided his team to the earliest ever title win is extraordinary.
The Reds won the title with seven games remaining in 2019/20. SEVEN. You just want to keep him forever.
Roy Evans
The manager in charge of two games that stand the test of time, played out against the same opponent, with the same scoreline, separated by 11 months.
The games you ask? Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle. The first of them, regarded as the greatest Premier League game of all-time.
Stan Collymore was the Reds’ hero in the first and Robbie Folwer in the second, two dramatic games that you could not take your eyes off in fear of missing another goal.
Robbie Fowler
It was four minutes and 33 seconds of heaven for Fowler back in 1994 as he scored, what was then, the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.
Arsenal was the team that was punished by the 19-year-old in a clinical display of finishing that had Anfield in a state of delirium.
Fowler’s record would stand for almost 21 years before ex-Red Sadio Mane, then at Southampton, scored three in just two minutes and 56 seconds.
Luis Suarez
You have to feel for Norwich being Suarez’s whipping boys, the former No. 7 just loved facing them, scoring 12 goals in just six games.
There were a couple of hat-tricks thrown in there but the four-goal haul (and an assist) at Anfield in 2013 was simply out of this world, the finishes were on another level entirely.
It’s hard to pick a favourite from the four, but, personally, the first from distance would have to be it.
Dirk Kuyt
This man could run and then run some more. A machine of a player that was quickly a fan favourite, such was the way he went about his game.
And that favourite tag was only elevated with a hattrick against Man United in 2011, making him the first Red in 21 years to score three against the bitter rivals.
Suarez’s genius may have lent a helping hand, but the scoresheet read Kuyt three times over.
Steve McManaman
A player whose influence and ability was under-appreciated, McManaman’s move to Real Madrid in 1999 soured his reputation and glossed over what he brought to Liverpool.
His ability on the ball was captivating and his influence so vast that Alex Ferguson even centred his Man United team talks almost solely on stopping the midfielder when they faced the Reds.
If you need a reference for McManaman’s talent and the attention he drew, you can’t go wrong with the 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996.
Ian Rush
A Liverpool legend, Rush played four seasons in the Premier League and while it may be odd to select his last league goal for this list, its significance will stand the test of time.
By scoring at Man City in a 2-2 draw in 1996, Rush took his goal tally to an awe-inspiring 346. It’s a number that has him positioned at the top of Liverpool’s all-time list, 61 more than the next best Roger Hunt.
It’s a figure you can never see being toppled.
Virgil van Dijk
There was always the knowledge that Van Dijk’s arrival signalled Liverpool’s rise to the top and he has proven just that.
But if we’re to ever seek a way to show his genius, the positioning, awareness and timing on show as Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min doubled-teamed him at Anfield would be the clip. A world-class operator.
John Henry
Liverpool’s fortunes changed when John Henry and Fenway Sports Group completed the buying process of the club after a turbulent and torrid time under the previous American owners back in 2010.
Henry and FSG have been far from perfect but their investment into the club has seen a new training ground built and Anfield redeveloped to accurately reflect Liverpool’s status in global football.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
At just 23, Alexander-Arnold has won all there is to win with his boyhood club and you could pick out any number of performances and assists for him. But the choice seems obvious.
Leicester, 2019. Boxing Day. The Reds have only just returned from winning the Club World Cup in Qatar and the right-back puts on an absolute clinic, scoring once and assisting twice.
A man possessed, Alexander-Arnold tore Leicester to shreds – why they gave him so much space is beyond belief.
Michael Owen
At the age of just 17 and in his first Liverpool appearance, Owen comes off the bench to score his maiden goal for the club against Wimbledon in 1997.
It signalled the start of a captivating Anfield career that saw him end the following season as joint top goalscorer, PFA Young Player of Year and by 2001 he was a Ballon d’Or winner.
A polarising player but one who was idolised by many and ignited their love of Liverpool and football.
Sami Hyypia
A brilliant farewell for an incredible club servant in 2009.
The picture speaks for itself.
Michael Edwards
A figure fans did not get to see much of but certainly witnessesed his genius manifested on the pitch, with his transformative work helping to bring the glory days back to Liverpool.
From negotiating a package for Philippe Coutinho that paid for Alisson and Van Dijk to all but swapping Kevin Stewart for Andy Robertson, Edwards’ ability to bend other clubs to his will was unrivalled.
Gerrard Houllier
The man who gave Gerrard his start, modernised the club, delivered a cup treble, and guided Liverpool back to the Champions League after 16 years without.
Allez Allez, Gerrard.
Alisson
A 95th-minute winner on any day is enough to make you lose your marbles, it coming from your goalkeeper is a different story entirely.
Alisson‘s header, though, was straight out of a striker’s textbook and it’s only elevated further when you consider his personal story at the time and Liverpool’s desperate need to win to be in the top four.
Liverpool’s The goal of the season for 2020/21, we’ll not be told otherwise.
Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres tore Man United‘s Nemanja Vidic made for quite the viewing with their battles ending with three goals for Torres and three red cards for Vidic.
The Spaniard loved to terrorise the Serbian defender and certainly take him down a peg or two, our personal favourite battle coming in the 4-1 win at Old Trafford in 2009.
Vidic was sent off and made to look second-rate and Torres was on the scoresheet and more than happy to dish out a five-finger salute celebration.
Pepe Reina
The man was full of incredible saves, just think of the double effort against Everton back in 2009, but we want to celebrate his sprint to celebrate with David Ngog back in the same year.
He may have been at the other end of the pitch when Ngog’s goal hit the back of the net against Man United, but he was the first to reach the Frenchman and climb him like a koala.
A celebration that personified the Spaniard.
Sadio Mane
Klopp’s first transformational signing, the one that kickstarted a new era and he wasted no time in showing us all what lay ahead for his time at Anfield.
On his debut against Arsenal, his sensational solo goal had the manager in disbelief and with a handful of players on his back in an image that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
What a ride we had with Mane as a Red.
Rafa Benitez
The man that brought the European Cup back to Anfield after a 21-year wait, Europe was his domain with Liverpool and that was on show during the demolition week in 2009.
Three games, 13 goals. Real Madrid was dispatched first 4-0, then Man United to the tune of 4-1 at Old Trafford before Aston Villa was then the next to feel the Reds’ wrath in a 5-0 mauling.
John Barnes
Barnes played for Liverpool during the time when the First Division made way for the Premier League, a much-loved figure and a dazzling player on the pitch.
He showed as much with his bicycle kick goal against Blackburn in 1994, straight into the bottom corner and just one of the standout strikes from his final tally of 108.
Rick Parry
Parry was Liverpool’s chief executive for 12 years and was a prominent figure in the formation of the Premier League. His influence on the club and league was significant.
Not always fondly thought of, Parry oversaw the sale of the club to Tom Hicks and George Gillett – a momentous move and as history shows, not for the right reasons.
Divock Origi
Is this really an influential list without the king of the 90+ minute goal?
Mohamed Salah
You could be here all day with the Egyptian and the moments he has given Liverpool fans, but your mind may drift to one goal in particular.
One that may not be his best on a highlight reel of strikes but one that was significant to heralding the end of a 30-year wait, and that it was against Man United only made it all the sweeter.
A notable mention does also have to go to his cracking strike against Chelsea in 2019.
Sir Kenny Dalglish
Always there in a time of need, Dalglish’s return to Liverpool in 2011 surprised many, and while it was not a straightforward time, having the King back in the dugout was a delight.
Phil Thompson
A captain, leader and subsequently Houllier’s assistant from 1998 to 2004, a partnership Thompson later described as “one of the greatest moments of my life.”
His influence spanned across various eras for Liverpool and he also stood in as caretaker manager for six months as Houllier recovered from a heart problem.
Together, they were a duo that experienced considerable success, only adding to Thompson’s legend as a player.
Roberto Firmino
A popular figure who loves a celebration, and has had plenty of opportunities to do just that, has had a large hand in the success under Klopp.
His top moments are tough to narrow down but his hattrick against Arsenal at Anfield in 2018 is one that brings a smile to the face, he just loves scoring against the Gunners.
Firmino’s second of three goals was a masterpiece, three Arsenal defenders flat on their back by the ball hit the back of the net, hang that in the Louvre!
David Moores
From 1991 to 2007, Moores was chairman of Liverpool, aquiring 51 percent of his boyhood club and fulfilling a dream.
It was a labour of love but he was not without his challenges in the ever-changing environment that is club ownership in the Premier League. He brought success in his 16 years and always sought to maintain the club’s values and traditions.
