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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Elliott Jackson

Liverpool legend included with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in greatest UEFA Champions League XI

UEFA have named their all-time Champions League XI and there's room for one Liverpool legend.

European football bosses have compiled an 'Ultimate XI' from the players who have made the fans' Team of the Year the most times since the vote began in 2001.

The team was revealed as  UEFA.com  prepared to announce the nominees for the 2019 Team of the Year on Tuesday.

As you'd expect, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both make the cut in attack.

Having shared the Ballon d'Or for some many years, the icon duo start in a three-pronged attack, with nine Champions League titles between them.

Whilst Messi's have all come with Barcelona, one of Ronaldo's came with Manchester United and the other four at Real Madrid.

There is room for one Liverpool star in the XI though and that is, of course, Steven Gerrard .

The Red captain was a key member of the side that completed the famous comeback in Istanbul in 2005 to lift the Champions League trophy.

Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard holds the trophy surrounded by teammates at the end of the UEFA Champions league football final AC Milan vs Liverpool, 25 May 2005 at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

Gerrard was selected in the Team of the Year on three separate occasions throughout his time with Liverpool.

Meanwhile, ex-Arsenal star Thierry Henry joins Ronaldo and Messi in attack for his contributions with both Arsenal and Barcelona.

The Frenchman lost the 2006 final with the Gunners to the Catalan giants before moving over to Spain.

Henry was selected in the Team of the Year five times including in the first four teams consecutively.

To round off the team, there are five current or former Barcelona stars in the selection, Messi joined by Andreas Iniesta, Xavi, Gerard Pique, who also won the trophy once with Manchester United and three times with the Catalans, plus Carles Puyol.

Casillas is in goal thanks to six selections in the Team of the Year, while Ramos is the most selected defender with eight. He is joined at the back by Pique (five), Puyol (six) and Bayern Munich and ex-Bayern Munich left-back Philipp Lahm (five).

Uefa.com Ultimate Fans Team of the Year:  Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Lahm; Gerrard, Xavi, Iniesta; Ronaldo, Messi, Henry.

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