18 Mar 2019 12:19:22
Boring international break so how about a little fun to ease our title tension?

Amongst the many things that irritates me about the media is the way it confers the status of ‘Liverpool legend’ on almost anyone who has ever played for the club. Now, I am not setting myself up as THE authority on who should be accorded this most honoured of titles but I am pretty damn sure that Phil Babb is not a ‘Liverpool legend’ as he was recently described on Sky. I have my own eclectic method of deciding who is and who is not for me ‘Liverpool legend’ - for some it is straightforwardly a matter of how their talent and longevity have contributed to the success of the club; for others it is for a one-off event of huge importance; and for others it is because they were completely bonkers. Some have forfeited potential ‘Liverpool legend’ status by their behaviour on or off the pitch or by joining a club I hate. So, for what it is worth, this is a far from comprehensive list of my personal choices of ‘Liverpool legends’ :

Ian Callaghan, Ron Yeats, Ian St John, Gerry Byrne (played almost the entire 1965 FA Cup Final against Leeds with a broken collar bone), Roger Hunt, Alan Waddle (he only ever scored 1 goal for us, the winner against Everton at Goodison in 1973), Steve Heighway, Joey Jones (mad as a box of frogs), Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Jan Molby, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia (for the ‘ghost goal’ against Chelsea in the CL semi final), Sami Hyypia, Stephan Henchoz (for playing as a second goalie in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal in 2001 and getting away with 2, possibly 3, handballs) .

I have deliberately left out people such as Grobbelaar (was he on the take? ), Souness (that business with the S**), Owen (joined Real Madrid and United), Torres (could have been had he stayed longer), Suarez (for obvious reasons) and Phil Neal (always thought he was a bit of a knob) . Others I have probably just forgotten.

Of the current crop, quite a few have the potential to become ‘Liverpool legends’ if they stay long enough and win things - Bobby, Mo, Sadio, TAA, Robbo, VVD, Alisson, Millie.

Who are your ‘Liverpool legends’?

1.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 12:55:34
Agree with pretty much your whole post except leaving Souness out 3 time EC winner and a serial winner. He rightly apologised for the interview with that lying rag and I accept that . In my view the best midfielder we've had in my lifetime.

2.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 13:25:41
Nice question WW!

I'm a little younger than you, so my legends list is a little shorter!

However, I completely agree with everyone on your list from The King onwards.

I WOULD include Brucie, I don't think he was on the take, and I can't remember a bigger character at Liverpool in all of my time supporting them.

I would also include Reina and Dudek. No, I'm not just a frustrated ex-goalie! Pepe was the best goalie in the league for a good 5 years or more, and also had his eccentricities.

The Dude? Eell just for that one game! And he's very cool!

I would put Rob Jones on the list - absolute Rolls Royce of a player and injury cut short his career so cruelly.

Finally, and for no other reason that he just looked mean and enforced himself on the pitch, I would have Steve McMahon.

3.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 13:26:31
Liddelland, that’s a very good counter argument for Souey. I agree that he is the best midfielder I have seen in my lifetime and probably the best captain and leader, too, and I love him as a pundit. But I did say it is a personal list and some of my choices will appear irrational to others - but that’s the fun part!

4.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 13:44:09
Great discussion! Just for how many yards he stole for THAT free kick I’d give Gary Mac a mention, he had a massive impact on that squad too. Every player in the current squad has an application pending, we’ll find out in May.

5.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 13:46:28
Zeddicus, thanks for the reminder - I am adding Jerzy Dudek to my list of ‘Liverpool legends’ if only for that miraculous double save from Shevchenko in extra time in Istanbul.

6.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 15:14:32
Dudek, Garcia and Henchoz all are only cult heroes rather than legends imo. Decent players who had their moments but did not have the consistency or stature as some of the other figures. Players like Owen and Suarez are definite anti-heroes. Their efforts should be recognised and remembered for the awesome players that they were, but they do not deserve to be up there in the pantheon of legends. Torres and Alonso count imo. Weren’t here for very long but were the very best in the world in their position during their time here.

In my lifetime i would only consider Carragher, Gerrard, Hyypia, Torres, Alonso and maybe Henderson and Kuyt for their consistency and commitment as well. Cult heroes, as in players i remember fondly but not considered legends, Agger, Garcia, Mascherano, Reina, Coutinho, Sissoko, Dudek, Sterling, Riise, Lucas Leiva, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Benayoun and Sturridge (bear in mind my selections are from when i became a proper liverpool fan, 2005 onwards)

7.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 16:41:13
Steve nicol and emlyn Hughes.

8.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 16:48:11
If one off moments make you a cult hero the 96th minute belongs to Divock Origi.

Eric Meijer was a cult hero. Best ball boy Liverpool ever had.

{Ed025's Note - i was calling divok a cult....or something like that.. :)

9.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 17:13:01
Hmasson2, Emlyn was one of the greatest players to ever pull on the Liverpool shirt and I did think long and hard about including him in my legends list. But I have read a number of Liverpool players’ autobiographies in which he does not come across as a very nice guy at all; and after he retired he wrote a newspaper column full of what to me were outrageous political views. I did say my choices are personal and some are irrational.

But respect to you and your opinion - if Emlyn is a Liverpool legend to you and others (as I am sure he is) then that’s cool.

10.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 17:14:27
I'd say the starter list is good but I would have Ray Clemence, Alan Kennedy for his winning goals, Ray Kennedy - pure class and Alan Hansen.

11.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 17:32:04
Dod, how could I omit Alan Hansen (class personified), Ray Kennedy (a giant of a goal scoring midfielder) and Alan Kennedy (scored the winning goal in 2 European Cup finals)? They join my list. But Clem? Sorry, he left to play for Spurs.

{Ed025's Note - still your best keeper by an absolute country mile WW..

12.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 17:50:34
I won't take your dislike of Ray/ Spurs personally, WW. Aside from Gerrard (and possibly a few others) they all move off to other clubs eventually. But Ray was top class as a keeper and as a person. Go on, make an exception, put him in ;o)

13.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 17:59:10
It's all about opinion, WW, but Neal is a legend. Our most decorated player, so has to be. And if you're having Dudek, who didn't know a thing about that save, you have to have Clem.

14.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 18:17:36
Dod and Rome 1977, I love it that you guys are getting involved in the debate and my list of ‘Liverpool legends’ is flexible. But as I have said a couple of times, it is a personal list and may appear irrational to others. Sorry, no place for Clem or Neal on my list but happy to see him on yours.

15.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 19:33:29
There are many legends of Liverpool but those that I remember in my lifetime are:

Dalglish
Souness
Rush
Fowler
Barnes
Carragher
Alonso
Molby
Neal
Hansen
Grobelaar
Gerrard
Hyypia.

16.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 20:18:05
Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith, Chris Lawler, Peter Thompson, Toshack, Keegan, Terry McDermott, Jimmy Case, Sammy Lee, Craig Johnston, Jan Molby, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge, Gary Ablett, Steve Stuanton, Steve Ogrosovic, Steve Finnan, Marcus Babbell, Vladimir Smicer not because they were all world beaters (though some certainly were) but because I haven’t read their names in this thread yet and they were all good Club men or heroes to me that sit alongside all the other great players previously mentioned by the other posters 👍🏻.

17.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 20:42:28
Sean Dundee. What a signing!

18.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 21:10:39
Ex_Reffing-Useless, I’ll take Vladimir Smicer from your list and add him to mine. Anyone who scored a goal and a penalty in the Istanbul final has to be one of my ‘Liverpool legends’. Good shout mate.

19.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 21:28:23
Alll good WW
There are so many to choose from, my favourite was Terry Mc when I was very young. As a fellow Wirralian mate I tried to make a case for Danny Murphy for his Old Trafford winners, but he’s such a knob I can’t justify it 🤷🏻‍♂️.

20.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 21:49:27
Ex_Reffing_Useless, Murphy is one of the ex-Liverpool media knobs who have forfeited any right to be considered for my legends list. Steve Nichol is another. You’ve got me wavering over Terry Mac now. He is another who scored in a European Cup final and he did score the greatest goal I have seen at Anfield, against Spurs in the 7-0 win in 1978. Oh go one, he’s in!

21.) 18 Mar 2019
18 Mar 2019 23:09:42
Great topic Wirral Wonder.
In my opinion I think the fellow reds have covered the legends well. A couple of names on the periphery of 'legend' status that I could not see mentioned were Gary Gillespie and Mark Lawrenson (respectfully putting aside any views on punditry) .

22.) 19 Mar 2019
19 Mar 2019 09:30:33
I'd like to add Ronnie rosenthal into the pot of consideration. Yes yes I know about the miss at villa however, the impact he had when he first joined was fantastic. Perfect hatrick against Charlton on his first start. Maybe not legend status but still a note in our fantastic history. Ronnie whelan another great servant, maybe overlooked as he wasn't the goalscoring box to box player we all love but still a fantastic servant for a long period of time and also had quality in his play, goal in cup final against the mancs if I remember rightly plus the scissor kick he scored for Ireland shows his class. Oh and there was maybe a crazy og against utd too. 😳and he could get his foot in when needed without making a song and dance about being a hard man. Terry mac is another if only for his goal against spurs. Jimmy case another who had quality and Tommy Smith would have tackled a brick wall if it was going to get the reds a win.

23.) 19 Mar 2019
19 Mar 2019 10:45:36
Ohyoubeauty - Rosenthal, Whelan and Case all good shouts but I have left Tommy Smith off my list for a very good reason (well, it is a very good reason according to my criteria) . Liverpool played Bruges in the final of the 1976 UEFA Cup. We won the 1st leg 3-2 and I went over the Bruges for the 2nd leg. We drew 1-1, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Now, there is a lot going on right now in football about encroaching on the pitch but this was 1976 and at the end of the game it was “All on the pitch lads! ”. I know, I know but that’s how it was then and I was still a teenager. Anyway, the Liverpool fans were celebrating on the pitch with the players and there was no bother at all - until Tommy Smith grabbed me by my shirt front and snarled “Get off the effing pitch, you are spoiling it for us”. Legend status withdrawn and still denied.

24.) 19 Mar 2019
19 Mar 2019 11:16:20
OK I can see and understand your reasoning and I bet you still have nightmares as I'm sure many forwards still do after having a face to face with Tommy Smith. Thank you for your response and little nugget of a memory. Must've been fantastic getting to celebrate so close to the players. I think that's one of the down sides to how the game has gone, the fans and players were closer connected back then, now the only connection is social media and having a shirt with their name on your back, totally NOT the same. I remember my dad telling me about a kick about him and his mates had with shanks outside melwood. Nowadays that would be front page news but back then it was just how it was.