Liverpool’s club-record signing Alexander Isak inherited the club’s iconic No. 9 shirt following his £125 million move from Newcastle United in the summer.
At Anfield, that number has been both a blessing and a curse—worn by some truly elite strikers who lit up Merseyside, and by others who… well, didn’t quite live up to the legacy.
With that in mind, we’ve looked back at every Liverpool No. 9 of the 21st century, ranking them from best to worst to see exactly what kind of history Isak is stepping into. And while some players switched shirt numbers during their Anfield careers, we’ve counted their full Liverpool record if they ever donned the famous No. 9.
*EDITORS NOTE: Isak himself not yet included due to length of time at club.
11. Iago Aspas
Years: 2013–2014
Games: 15
Goals: 1
Iago Aspas has had a fine career in La Liga with Celta Vigo, but he was a huge disappointment in his one and only season in England.
The Spaniard's only goal for Liverpool came against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup, with his most memorable moment for the club coming when he played a corner right into the path of an opposition player.
Not great.
10. Rickie Lambert
Years: 2014–2015
Games: 36
Goals: 3
Boyhood Liverpool fan Rickie Lambert was released by the Reds at the age of 15 and had to work his way up right from the very bottom to return.
He fought his way through the lower divisions and led Southampton into the Premier League as he entered his thirties. After two stellar seasons in the top flight, Liverpool decided to bring Lambert home.
Unfortunately for the striker, he couldn't make the most of his time back at Anfield and left after one year.
9. El Hadji Diouf
Years: 2002–2004
Games: 79
Goals: 6
Liverpool fans must have thought they were onto a winner when they confirmed the signing of El Hadji Diouf on the day he tore apart reigning champions France at the 2002 World Cup, firing Senegal to the quarter-finals.
After a hot start to life on Merseyside, Diouf became more of a nuisance to Liverpool than to other teams, with his two seasons at the club marred by various controversies and few goals.
8. Nicolas Anelka
Years: 2001–2002
Games: 22
Goals: 5
A high-level journeyman, it's easy to forget that Nicolas Anelka had a quick pitstop at Liverpool midway through the 2001–02 season.
With five goals in 22 games, he at least wasn't terrible.
7. Andy Carroll
Years: 2011–2013
Games: 58
Goals: 11
Liverpool paying £35 million for Andy Carroll—who had only a half-season of true top-flight experience under his—seemed steep at the time.
It seems even steeper in hindsight.
Carroll was an up-and-coming striker but by no means was ready to make the step up to such a major team and he quickly found himself marked out of games and forced into uncomfortable situations which didn't suit his skillset.
6. Christian Benteke
Years: 2015–2016
Games: 42
Goals: 10
Christian Benteke was not a bad striker. A questionable signing, sure, but by no means an egregious flop.
He succeeded before he joined Liverpool and was prolific in the immediate seasons after leaving, while his return of 10 in 42—including a stunning overhead kick against Manchester United—for the Reds was respectable.
5. Darwin Nunez
Years: 2022–2025
Games: 143
Goals: 40
The so-called “Agent of Chaos” more than lived up to his nickname during his turbulent spell at Anfield.
Flashes of brilliance, outrageous finishes, and relentless running were mixed with wild misses, long goal droughts, and, well, more relentless—and sometimes entirely pointless—running.
Entertaining and exasperating in equal measure, the Uruguayan became a bit of a cult hero, but his return of 40 goals in 143 appearances ultimately fell short of justifying that mammoth £85 million price tag.
4. Robbie Fowler
Years: 1999–2002, 2006–2007
Games: 118*
Goals: 36*
We are now entering asterisk territory, people.
Robbie Fowler is one of Liverpool's greatest ever strikers. However, if we're only counting seasons in the 21st century, then his impact is diminished.
From 1993 to 1999, Fowler scored a whopping 135 goals in 251 games, but injuries meant his prime was cut short.
Across two spells at Anfield in the 2000s, he was still a useful player and a cult hero.
3. Djibril Cissé
Years: 2003–2005
Games: 82
Goals: 26
Djibril Cissé’s Liverpool career will always carry an air of what might have been.
After a steady start following his move from Auxerre, the Frenchman suffered a horrific leg break just months into his Anfield spell—an injury that could have ended his career. Remarkably, he returned only six months later to play a key role in Liverpool’s unforgettable 2005 Champions League triumph, scoring in the shootout win over AC Milan.
Fully fit the next season, he hit 21 goals, netting twice in the UEFA Super Cup and opening the scoring in the FA Cup final win over West Ham.
Given his injury, Cissé’s impact at Liverpool was nothing short of remarkable.
2. Fernando Torres
Years: 2007–2011
Games: 142
Goals: 81
Fernando Torres was everyone's favourite striker during his first two years at Liverpool.
He was the quickest player in the land. He had cool hair. He was part of Spain's golden generation. He had the catchiest chant. He had his own iconic Nike advert, for goodness sake.
It never felt right when he swapped Liverpool red for Chelsea blue, and it's nice to see he's still adored on Merseyside again nowadays.
1. Roberto Firmino
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool's No. 9s of the 21st Century—Ranked.
