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Five Best Penalty Takers In The History of Liverpool FC

By Pratyush

Posted on June 9, 2020

In spite of having strikers like Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, the responsibility to take penalties fell to club veterans rather than strikers at Liverpool. Here we take a look at some of the most prolific players to score from the spot for the current European Champions.

BEST PENALTY TAKERS AT LFC: ALL TIME

#5: TOMMY SMITH (22 GOALS)

Even though he was a defender, Tommy Smith took up the responsibility from the penalty spot whenever required, netting 22 out of his tally of 48 goals from the spot.

A scouser through and through, he was born into a family of seasoned Kopites and was initiated into the club by 1960 as a solid defender. Known as The Anfield Iron, the hardened veteran made a reputation for himself with his bone crunching tackles and his tough and aggressive attitude against opposition.

Surprisingly in spite of his reputation he was sent off only once and that too because of a verbal argument with the referee than a careless tackle.

He was also versatile at the back, occupying the role of full backs whenever required by his managers. A regular presence during much of the 60s, he was given the captain’s armband by 1970 and was the first Liverpool captain to lift a European silverware by winning the UEFA Cup in 1973.

However, his frequent squabbles with teammates, particularly Emlyn Hughes, endangered the defensive partnership and he was stripped of both his captaincy and his place in the team a few years later. Close to leaving the club, the veteran however clawed back his place into the team, and ultimately even scored Liverpool’s second goal in a 3-1 final victory to earn Anfield’s first European Cup.

He made 638 appearances during his career for the Reds in which he won 4 League Championships, 2 FA Cups, a European Cup and 2 UEFA Cups. He finally parted ways with the club after an 18 year spell, joining his former teammate John Toshack at Swansea City in 1978. The Iron died last year aged 74 due to Alzheimer’s.

STATS:

COMPETITION	APPEARANCES	GOALS
League	467	36
FA Cup	52	2
League Cup	30	2
Europe	85	8
Other	4	0
Total	638	48

#4: BILLY LIDDELL (34 GOALS)

One of the most iconic Red players, such was the impact of this living legend during his time that the club was even nicknamed “Liddellpool”. He was part of a team during the club’s most turbulent periods with Liverpool languishing down in the second division. The Scotsman was a talismanic left winger and was a role model for emerging footballers, never getting booked even once during the span of his illustrious 23 years at Anfield.

Scoring 228 goals in 534 appearances for the Reds, Billy Liddell always topped the goalscoring charts year after year, and was the team’s top scorer in eight out of nine seasons during the 50s. Even in the twilight of his footballing career, he was a regular in the team opting to play in a deeper role to influence the game with his visionary passing.

A rare breed of footballers driven by a passion for the shirt they adorn, he didn’t have many trophies to boast alongside his scoring records, winning just a single league title in 1946 before Liverpool got relegated from top flight football.

He finally retired in 1960, just a year after Bill Shankly took over the reigns at Anfield, and his testimonial match attracted a crowd of 40,000 fans, showcasing his status at the club.

STATS:

COMPETITION	APPEARANCES	GOALS
League	492	215
FA Cup	42	13
Total	534	228

#3: PHIL NEAL (38 GOALS)

The most decorated player in Liverpool’s history, the ever reliable full-back was also good at scoring goals with his feet with a tally of 59 goals in a Red shirt.

The former Northampton Town athlete had a penalty conversion rate of 74.5%, with the Englishman netting some crucial ones including the semi-finals of the European Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, apart from slotting the winning penalty in Liverpool’s first European Cup victory in 1977. He was also the only player to feature in Liverpool’s first four European Cup triumphs.

The charismatic right back has won 8 League titles, 4 League Cups, a UEFA Cup along with those 4 European Cup medals. He also played a record 417 consecutive matches for the club, not missing a single game between from October 1976 to September 1983. After reaching his mid 30s, he left the club to join Bolton Wanderers as a player manager in 1985 to pave the way for younger talents like Steve Nicol to prosper.

STATS:

COMPETITION	APPEARANCES	GOALS
League	455	41
FA Cup	45	3
League Cup	66	4
Europe	74	11
Other	10	0
Total	650	59

#2: JAN MOLBY (42 GOALS)

The Great Dane was one of the finest penalty takers in a Red shirt, missing just three penalties from the spot across his career. Signed on from Ajax in the summer of 1984, the Danish midfielder was incisive with his passing and was also a prolific scorer when needed, netting 21 times in his post-debut season in 1985.

He was involved in the buildup to all goals in a 3-1 victory over derby rivals Everton in the final of the FA Cup that same year as well.

Jan Molby also holds the record for scoring a penalty hattrick against Coventry City in 1986, and was the de facto number one choice for taking penalty spot kicks over the span of his career.

His fitness issues hindered his progress during the latter part of the 80s and he was eventually sold to Swansea City by 1996. In his time at Anfield, Big Jan won 2 League titles along with 2 FA Cups.

STATS:

COMPETITION	APPEARANCES	GOALS
League	218	44
FA Cup	28	4
League Cup	28	9
Europe	7	1
Other	11	3
Total	292	61

#1: STEVEN GERRARD (47 GOALS)

There are only a few top 5 lists for Liverpool where Stevie G’s name doesn’t pop up. Gerrard was preferred as the first-choice penalty taker for much of his career, especially during the latter stages during his time.

He rose through the youngster ranks at Liverpool in 1996 and made 710 appearances over the next 18 years. A versatile box-to-box midfielder, he netted his first penalty against Birmingham City in 2003. He went on to score 47 from the penalty spot, while missing 10 penalties across his career. Always having nerves of steel during crucial situations, he also scored one during the special 4-1 win against bitter rivals Manchester United in 2009 at Anfield.

He helped the team win the FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup as well as the League Cup but heartbreakingly never could win the Premier League with the Reds. He moved to LA Galaxy at the end of the 2015 season and now manages Scottish side Rangers.

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