Who is the Greatest Liverpool Captain of the Modern Era?

Life is sweet on the red side of Liverpool at the moment. The reigning Premier League champions have evolved into perhaps the greatest club side in world football at the moment, under the awesome stewardship of Jürgen Klopp.

Since his arrival at the club in 2015, Liverpool have gone from Premier League ‘nearly men‘ to finally claiming their first title at the end of the truncated 2019-2020 season, as well as winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup Trophies.

With victory over Leeds in the opening game of this campaign it’s little surprise that new betting sites have listed the Red’s as 9/4 favourites to retain the Premier League title this year but only time will tell if the feverous hunger they displayed last term still remains.

Of course, any great side demands an inspiring leader on the pitch, and here we run down the best Liverpool players to pull on the captain’s armband throughout the Premier League era.

John Barnes

An immortal terrace legend at Anfield, Barnes was perhaps past the peak of his powers when he inherited the captain’s armband from the departing Ian Rush in 1996.

It would prove however to be a fitting honour for the ever- committed Barnes as he played out his final season for Liverpool before moving to Newcastle in August 1997.

Ian Rush

As Barnes’s predecessor, the prolific Welshman certainly set a good example for his eventual successor. Appointed club captain in 1993, Rush chalked up 45 goals in 128 outings whilst wearing the armband, not a bad return for a forward also in the twilight of his career.

Despite eventually losing his place to the emerging duo of Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore, Rush is rightly regarded as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players, and a fitting custodian of the capacity.

Paul Ince

Ince was a player who was born to lead. After making history as the first Black player to captain England in 1993, Ince also captained Liverpool following his arrival from Inter Milan in 1997.

Despite his best efforts, Liverpool were maligned as ‘nearly men‘ during his captaincy for their tendency to underachieve. However, Ince deserves his place in Liverpool history for the barriers he demolished for future players of the game.

Jordan Henderson

As perhaps the most unfairly criticised player of recent times, Henderson has spent his career proving doubters wrong. After struggling to ingratiate himself into Liverpool’s squad after his arrival from Sunderland in 2011, Henderson’s incredible work-rate and passion began to win him the plaudits he deserved.

Since inheriting the captain’s armband in 2015, Liverpool have enjoyed their most successful period for decades, with Premier League and Champions League trophies coming their way under Henderson’s leadership. The Tyneside hard man has rightly written his name into the annals of Mersey history.

Steven Gerrard

Any discussion of the greatest Liverpool captains of the Premier League era really is an open and shut case when Gerrard enters the discussion. The Liverpool born legend captained his boyhood club for over 12 years, and often made Liverpool history almost on his own.

Few players in the history of the game had have the ability to drag a team back into a match as Gerrard, as memorable fixtures such as the 2006 F.A. Cup Final against West Ham, and of course, that unforgettable Champions League Final in Istanbul.

It is perhaps testament to the cruel nature of football that Gerrard just missed out on capping his staggering Liverpool career with a Premier League title in his final season, but Stevie G will remain the Red’s greatest captain in the Premier League era and perhaps in any era for decades.

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