Today, the PFA Team of the Year for 2016/7 was announced, and one Red made the cut: Sadio Mane.
The Senegalese has been brilliant for us during his debut campaign, scoring 13 goals from the flank and registering five assists to boot.
As a result, we thought we’d build an XI of Liverpool players who’d made the Team of the Year since the Premier League’s inception and the results were rather… top heavy!
Despite his regular Golden Glove awards, Pepe Reina never made it in, but David James did – earning selection in 1995/96 under Roy Evans – which is interesting considering that team was renowned for its attacking flair and not it’s defensive nous!
At the back, only four defenders ever made the TOTY: Stig Inge Bjornebye (96/97), Mark Wright (96/97), Sami Hyypia (00/01, 01,02) and Rob Jones (94/95). Jamie Carragher never made it! As a result, we’ve gone with a back-three, dropping Bjornebye.
Steven Gerrard anchors our midfield. He made a record EIGHT TOTYs, first in 2000/01 and lastly in 2013/14. Dominant.
Alongside him is Steve McManaman (96/97), Coutinho (14/15) and Mane…
Xabi Alonso and Did Hamann never made it.
Up top, Luis Suarez (12/13, 13/14) obviously makes it, as does Fernando Torres (07/08, 08/09), but they’re starting alongside Michael Owen (97/98) and not Robbie Fowler – who somehow missed it in the mid-1990s!
Still, not a bad side…
The numbers in brackets indicate how many times player made TOTY: