Two players from recent history make the list…
Liverpool’s ‘lighthearted’ section of the official website, LFC Xtra, has named the 10 hardest Liverpool players in history….
Do you agree with their choices?
Here’s who they went for…
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10) Ronnie Whelan
The Dublin born midfielder made almost 500 appearances for the Reds, and got himself involved in battles aplenty throughout the 1980s, following his debut in the second year of the decade. Such was his love for the tackle, Whelan was equally capable in defence.
9) Joey Jones
‘Uncompromising,’ would be one word to describe the 1977 European Cup winner’s tackling style… The Kop loved the no-nonsense left-back, who made 72 appearances in total. He’s perhaps most famous for the banner unveiled at the final in Rome: “Joey Ate The Frogs Legs, Made The Swiss Roll, Now He’s Munching Gladbach”
8) Jamie Carragher
The only argument here is that Carragher should perhaps have been ranked higher… The centre-back epitomised the ‘never say die’ attitude he most famously showed as we earned Champions League glory in 2005. Cramping up, he managed to keep Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka at bay in the second half. Once brilliantly called up a national radio station to slaughter idiot presenter Adrian Durham, who was criticising him, too.
7) Steven Gerrard
‘Steve Gerrard, Gerrard… He’s big and he’s f***ing hard…’ goes the Kop chant about our famous captain. A monstrously physical and dynamic midfielder – both offensively and defensively in his prime, Gerrard’s been the best all-round footballer the Premier League’s ever seen. Oh how we’ll miss him next term.
6) Ron Yeats
The captain of Bill Shankly’s first successful Liverpool team, Yeats eat centre-forwards for breakfast. Immensely powerful, brave and commanding. How we could do with a man of his stature at the back now.
5) Steve McMahon
The way McMahon pressed and harried opponents would fit our current set-up perfectly… The Englishman enjoyed many a legendary Merseyside derby with Peter Reid in the 1980s.
4) Jimmy Case
Case was one of the few top flight midfielders of the age who gave the ferocious Leeds midfielders a genuine run for their money in terms of fight and aggression. Case was also famed for having one of the most powerful shots in the game. Was charged with assault in 1980, and was offloaded soon after.
3) Gerry Bryne
Probably the bravest and most dedicated tackler in Liverpool history. Byrne’s most famous for breaking his collarbone in the 1965 FA Cup final, but gobsmackingly, he refused to be subbed!
2) Tommy Smith
Dubbed ‘The Anfield Iron,’ Smith’s consistently bone-crunching tackles didn’t earn him a single red-card throughout his 16 year career, although he was once dismissed for swearing at the ref. “Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried,” said Bill Shankly.
1) Graeme Souness
The original midfield general. At his peak, Souness was as good as any midfielder in Europe, and twice as formidable a battler. Relentless in the tackle, and unnervingly cool in any tense situation – Souness is undeniably the hardest footballer Liverpool have ever deployed.
