Let’s face it, before the advent of Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool weren’t known for their defensive prowess in the Premier League era. A look into the past decade will bring up painful memories for Liverpudlians, with a shaky defence partly to blame for the lack of Premier League silverware in the last 30 years. However, this was not always the case. Liverpool has a decent history of sporting some of the best defenders to grace the English top league. Here, we’ll take a look, and rank, some of the most solid center backs to play at Anfield, and see who makes the list for All-Time Best Center-Backs.
5 All-Time Liverpool Center-Backs
- Mark Lawrenson
Surprisingly Virgil Van Dijk was not the first defender that Liverpool has paid the club record fee for. That honor goes to Mark Lawrenson, who was bought from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 1981 for a record 900,000 pounds, making him the most expensive defender in Britain.
Starting as a left-back initially in the first few games, Lawrenson shifted to a more central role and was especially known for his agility and speed with the ball at his feet. He signed for Liverpool when Anfield was enjoying consistent European success, and he played 39 out of 42 games in his first season as a Red, scoring the equalizer in the penultimate game of the season against Tottenham, which saw Liverpool win the league. He went ahead to win three consecutive league titles for the Red in a run which saw him miss just 5 games in 126 appearances.
Lawrenson also won three successive League Cup in 1982, 1983, and 1984. His calm and serene composure at the ball helped Liverpool win the European Cup against Roma in penalties, and he was a part of the team that won the double in 1986, winning the league and the FA Cup.
After rupturing his Achilles against Arsenal in 1988 it was time for Lawrenson to hang his boots. 356 appearances and 10 trophies later, Lawrenson officially quit Liverpool and joined up Oxford United as a manager, which unfortunately was quite short-lived.
STATS:
| SEASON | APPEARANCES | GOALS |
| 1981-82 | 59 | 4 |
| 1982-83 | 55 | 7 |
| 1983-84 | 66 | 0 |
| 1984-85 | 50 | 2 |
| 1985-86 | 58 | 5 |
| 1986-87 | 49 | 0 |
| 1987-88 | 19 | 0 |
- Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk might not boast a tremendous record of appearances for the club with only 3 seasons (as on April 2020) in a Red jersey, but it is undeniable that he is one of the most influential defenders Liverpool have ever had. Signed at a time when Liverpool was infamous for being quite leaky at the back, he was signed from Southampton in January of 2018 at a world record fee of 75 million pounds to patch up Red’s defense.
A commandeering figure at the center of Liverpool’s defense, he quickly made himself a fan favorite four days later by scoring the winner against derby rivals Everton in a 2-1 victory in the third round of the FA Cup. This made him the first player since 1901 to score on his debut in the Merseyside derby. His impact at the heart of Liverpool’s defense was instant, and he could be single-handedly attributed to converting Anfield into the fortress it is now. His solidity at the back earned Liverpool a spot in the Champions League final in 2018, which they lost to Real Madrid 3-1 under shocking circumstances.
The next season, however, Liverpool soared to produce their best points tally in the league with 97 points, and a certain Virgil Van Dijk’s presence at the back gave a huge confidence to rely on the quick attacking football that Liverpool play. He went on to rally the team to win their 6th Champions League trophy and is instrumental in the team’s ongoing attempt to clinch their first Premier League trophy
Van Dijk is known not just for his physical prowess and strength, but also his surprising pace. He went on a record-breaking 50 games without getting dribbled past, and was voted the runner up to Ballon D’Or for the 2019 season, finishing just behind Lionel Messi.
Must Read – 15 Amazing Life Facts of Virgil Van Dijk You Should Know!
With only 3 years at Anfield, his legacy as one of the best defenders for the club is unchallengeable, and he makes the 4th in our list of All Time Center Backs to play for Liverpool.
STATS AS ON APRIL 2020:
| SEASON | APPEARANCES | GOALS |
| 2017-18 | 22 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 50 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 41 | 4 |
- Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan Carragher was born in Bootle, Liverpool to a family of avid Everton supporters. He started his young career playing as a striker in the local youth team, and was picked up by Liverpool scouts in 1988. Ever defiant, Carragher used to turn up to practice wearing an Everton shirt to make his preferences clear. Ironically, as he would go on to devote his entire playing career to the Reds.
He still played primarily as an attacker and won the FA Youth Cup in 1996, at a time when the Youth Cup sported players such as Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard. This was the first season that he was tried out as a defender, and was slowly groomed to fulfill that role for his future team.
He signed his professional contract in October 1996 and made his debut as a center-back on January 8, 1997 against Middlesbrough at the age of 19. He had the classic dream debut, scoring a rare goal in his first match, although he never really made the news for goals, going on to score only 5 goals in his career.
He was an integral part of the team that won the treble in 2001, mostly slotting into left back whenever required that season. He would also be a part of the legendary Istanbul team, winning the Champions League in 2005 after scoring the penultimate penalty. He formed an established defense with co-defender Sami Hyppia, and was known for his temperament on the field and most of all, his never-ending passion for the club he hated in his childhood.
Carragher won the FA Cup 2 times, the League Cup 3 times, the UEFA Cup once and the Champions League once in his career spanning a respectable 17 years for the club. This would make him the second longest-serving player for Liverpool across its history, boasting 737 appearances donning the red jersey. He also holds the record for the highest number of European appearances for the Reds. He finally ended his career in 2013, leaving a historic dent on the memory of Kopites around the globe.
STATS:
| SEASON | APPEARANCES | GOALS |
| 1996-97 | 3 | 1 |
| 1997-98 | 23 | 0 |
| 1998-99 | 44 | 1 |
| 1999-2000 | 40 | 0 |
| 2000-01 | 58 | 0 |
| 2001-02 | 53 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | 54 | 0 |
| 2003-04 | 29 | 0 |
| 2004-05 | 56 | 0 |
| 2005-06 | 57 | 1 |
| 2006-07 | 51 | 1 |
| 2007-08 | 55 | 0 |
| 2008-09 | 54 | 1 |
| 2009-10 | 53 | 0 |
| 2010-11 | 38 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 31 | 0 |
| 2012-13 | 38 | 0 |
- Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes spent his youth days in Blackpool and garnered the attention of Bill Shankly who wasted no time to sign him in February 1967. There’s a famous saying that goes by like this – When he signed up Bill Shankly stopped and asked a policeman if he knew who Emlyn was. When the policeman shook his head, Shankly replied with “Oh he’s the future captain of England.” And as time flew, Shankly turned out to be pretty much on point.
He was initially slotted in as a left-back and played his first game against Stoke City on 4th March 1967, and earned the nickname the “Crazy Horse” after rugby-tackling Newcastle forward Albert Bennet in his fifth game wearing a red jersey.
A charismatic individual on the pitch, he was known for making galloping runs into the other half and found himself on the scoresheet more often than not. He switched between playing as a defensive midfielder and a center back in his first few years, which explains his decent goal scoring tally. After missing out on winning the league in 1972 when Arsenal pipped Liverpool to clinch the trophy, he was instrumental in helping Liverpool win their first league in 7 years in 1973, and also won Liverpool’s first European trophy, the UEFA Cup, that same year.
By 1975, Hughes was made the captain of both the club and the national side, realizing Shankly’s faith in him as a player. He went on to captain the side that helped bring the prestigious European Cup to Anfield for the first time, defeating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome. Liverpool retained the trophy the next year too and Emlyn Hughes was decorated with the Player of the Year award for his integral role in Liverpool’s European success. In his time with the Reds, Emlyn Hughes won 4 league titles, an FA Cup, 2 European Cups and 2 UEFA Cups.
He made a tremendous 665 appearances sporting the Liverpool crest, but a knee injury in 1979 and the emergence of younger talents like Alan Hansen curtailed his career and he was eventually transferred to Wolves. At the age of 57, “Crazy Horse” passed away in 2004 due to a tumor in his brain, but his legacy with the Reds will remain forever.
STATS:
| SEASON | APPEARANCES | GOALS |
| 1966-67 | 10 | 0 |
| 1967-68 | 56 | 2 |
| 1968-69 | 49 | 5 |
| 1969-70 | 53 | 7 |
| 1970-71 | 59 | 5 |
| 1971-72 | 53 | 9 |
| 1972-73 | 65 | 12 |
| 1973-74 | 61 | 2 |
| 1974-75 | 53 | 2 |
| 1975-76 | 57 | 2 |
| 1976-77 | 62 | 1 |
| 1977-78 | 59 | 1 |
| 1978-79 | 28 | 1 |
Also Read – All Time Liverpool’s Best Left-Backs and Right-Backs
- Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen joined Liverpool from the Scottish outfit Partick Thistle in May 1977 at a fee of about 100,000 pounds at the time. He made his debut that season against Derby County, and was instantly noted for his vision on the pitch as a defender. The skinny 22-year-old lad impressed the Kop, but Liverpool already had an established defensive partnership between Emlyn Hughes and Phil Thompson.
His breakthrough came the next season in 1978-79, which saw Alan Hansen replace Emlyn Hughes at the back, with the Reds conceding only 16 goals that season, a spectacular record for the time.
Known for his vision and the ability to build from the back, quite like what you see Liverpool these days against teams that sit deep, Alan Hansen made quite a reputation for himself as a crisp tackler and a steady center back across England. Since he was skinny, Alan couldn’t afford clattering into the opponent and relied on his ability to read the game and nullify any goal scoring chance. As was noted by himself later on – “There are no prizes for guessing I was never sent off and hardly ever booked – most managers would say that this is a ridiculous record for a central defender.” Knowing the history of how physical English league can be, it is ridiculous indeed.
His solid presence at the back was instrumental in Liverpool’s success and he won his first league in 1979 for the Reds, a trophy which he’d go on to lift 4 times in a row from 1981 to 1985. He was also in the starting lineup for the Reds against Bruges in 1978, winning his first European trophy and Liverpool’s second. By the end of his career, Alan Hansen boasted a decorated metal cabinet consisting of 8 league titles and 3 European Cups. A career that saw him captaining the team and winning the league and the FA Cup in his first season wearing the armband for the club in 1986.
He was 34 years old when a serious knee injury ended his footballing career and Liverpool lost the greatest defender they had ever seen, leading to a defensive uncertainty that mired Anfield for more than a decade after his retirement. With 620 appearances and 14 goals across his time at Liverpool, Alan Hansen retired a hero in the heart of the Kop.
STATS:
| SEASON | APPEARANCES | GOALS |
| 1977-78 | 26 | 1 |
| 1978-79 | 42 | 2 |
| 1979-80 | 53 | 4 |
| 1980-81 | 54 | 3 |
| 1981-82 | 60 | 2 |
| 1982-83 | 52 | 0 |
| 1983-84 | 67 | 1 |
| 1984-85 | 62 | 0 |
| 1985-86 | 60 | 0 |
| 1986-87 | 53 | 0 |
| 1987-88 | 49 | 1 |
| 1988-89 | 8 | 0 |
| 1989-90 | 42 | 0 |
ALSO READ – Liverpool’s Best 11 of All-Time
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
These are the honorable mentions that could not make it to the list –
- Phil Thompson
- Sami Hyppia
- Daniel Agger
- Ron Yeats
- Tommy Smith
