Jamie Carragher has named three current players in his greatest-ever Liverpool XI.
The Liverpool legend was asked to debate the subject while working as a pundit, ahead of the Reds’ game against Benfica on Wednesday night. On the pitch, Jurgen Klopp’s side battled to a 3-3 draw to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals , after winning 3-1 in the first leg of the tie.
The Reds will now prepare to take on Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final this weekend, as their hunt for an unlikely quadruple this season continues. Given the standards being set by this Liverpool team, Carragher believes fans are currently witnessing several of the club’s all-time greats.
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Naming his all-time team for CBS Sports , the 44-year-old began by naming Ray Clemence in goal and giving Steve Nicol the left-back berth. However, half of the backline was then made up by key members of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
“[At right-back] I’ve gone for Trent Alexander-Arnold, ahead of Phil Neal who won four European Cups, but I've gone with that because I think the influence Trent has on this team is greater than Phil Neal,” Carragher said. “Alan Hansen, before Virgil van Dijk came along, was the greatest centre-back to ever play for Liverpool, so he’s alongside Virgil van Dijk.”
In midfield, the ex-Red named Graeme Souness as captain in centre-midfield alongside Steven Gerrard, while John Barnes occupied the left flank, And Carragher has been consistent in his stance that Mohamed Salah has built a lasting legacy at Anfield .
“Mo Salah has got to go in,” he said. “He is a Liverpool legend, what he’s done as part of this Jurgen Klopp team. He goes into a position that, again, there was never really any standout figure for me on the right-hand side of that attack.”
Completing his line up as a front two were Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, all managed by Bill Shankly. Carragher, though, gave praise to Steven Gerrard when naming the best-ever player to wear a Liverpool shirt and made a notable admission about how his time at the club could have come to an abrupt end.
Speaking about his former teammate while highlights from his career were playing, Carragher said: “Steven Gerrard, the greatest player to ever play for Liverpool, in my opinion. This goal just sums him up. Against Olympiakos and then we go on to win the European Cup.
“Without that goal there’s no Istanbul and there’s no Steven Gerrard in a Liverpool shirt because I’m convinced he would’ve moved on in that summer, because we’d have had no Champions League football.”
