Both Merseyside teams have had long histories of incredible players, littered with trophies and titles. So who would win if the best of the best squared off against each other?
Liverpool FC All-Stars (4-2-3-1)
Ian Rush
John Barnes Kenny Dalglish Ian Callaghan
Steven Gerrard Graham Souness
Mark Lawrenson Alan Hansen Jamie Carragher Stevie Nicol
Ray Clemence
Ian Rush: Still the leading goalscorer in Kop history in a club that has seen Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Daniel Sturridge, and Andriy Voronin.
John Barnes: Barnesy was one of the best wingers to grace Anfield, and the list of great Liverpool wingers is deep. I mean, the less we say about his rapping the better, but this man had skill, pace, and power. When wingers come to Liverpool, Barnes is the measuring stick that they are compared with.
Kenny Dalglish: What else needs to be said about the King. The best player ever to pull on the red jersey.
Ian Callaghan: The most capped player in Liverpool history, and a stalwart in Bill Shankly’s side that climbed out of the Second Division and into the history books.
Steven Gerrard: If Kenny is the King of the Kop, then Stevie G is the heir apparent. A player who has single-handedly dragged Liverpool kicking and screaming to victory. Captain Fantastic.
Graham Souness: Souness often gets overlooked by some Liverpool fans because of his disastrous managerial stint after Kenny, but as a player he was unstoppable. He was the driving force that every midfield needs and would pair well with Gerrard in this midfield.
Mark Lawrenson: A better left back than a pundit, thankfully. A player capable of making forward runs, awhile still able to defend in the back. A player Liverpool could have used for the last few years.
Alan Hansen: The rock at the back for some of the most successful sides in not only Liverpool history but in European soccer history. Commanding, comfortable on the ball, and could read the game like nobody else.
Jamie Carragher: It was tough to call between Carra and Big Sami Hyypia, but I’m going with the Scouser. The beloved defender, amongst Liverpool fans, was always something of a ‘blood and thunder’ style tackler. One who was capable of breaking your leg off with one of his challenges. What lands him on this list was how he changed his style of play when Brendan Rodgers took over the club to accommodate the style the manager was trying to play. He proved you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Stevie Nicol: Another player Liverpool could have used for at least the last two seasons. Stevie Nicol was the quintessential complete full back. It was not uncommon to see him striding up the pitch and get a goal.
Ray Clemence: One of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever seen (if only in old video of games). In the 1978-79 season, he only conceded a staggering 16 goals in 42 games. Jaw-dropping stuff, that.
Everton All-Stars (4-4-2)
Dixie Dean Alex Young
Kevin Sheedy Peter Reid Colin Harvey Alan Ball
Leighton Baines T.G. Jones Brian Labone Warney Cresswell
Neville Southall
Dixie Dean: Scored 383 goals for Everton and two hattricks in Merseyside derbies. The most prolific striker in English soccer history. Enough said.
Alex Young: Just beating out the likes of Big Dunc Ferguson or Gary Linekar, “The Golden Vision” as he was known, scored 87 goals and bagged a league title and an FA Cup in his time at Everton.
Kevin Sheedy: One of the few players make the switch across Stanley Park, although as a youth player. Ultimately, became a huge hit at Everton in 10 trophy-laden years.
Peter Reid: Called “Everton’s most important post-war signing” by manager Howard Kendall, and he wasn’t far from the truth. Came fourth in 1985’s World Soccer Player of the Year award, behind the likes of Michel Platini, Preben Elkjaer, and Diego Maradona.
Colin Harvey: Part of the “Holy Trinity”, which included our next entry, this player was considered part of the best midfield of their generation. He was also known as the “White Pele” if that tells you anything about the esteem which Everton fans held him in.
Alan Ball: Another member of the “Holy Trinity”, and an instrumental member of the Everton team that won the league in 1969/70.
Leighton Baines: One of the more recent members on this list, Baines is one of the best, if not the best, left back in the Premier League right now, and that’s an incredibly crowded group. Capable of amazing freekicks, lung busting runs up the pitch, and silky defending.
T.G. Jones: One of Everton’s best pre-war defenders. Widely considered by many Evertonians as the classiest defender in Blue’s history.
Brian Labone: Considered one of the best central defenders of his generation, local boy Labone would go on to win two league titles and an FA Cup.
Warney Cresswell: Another of Everton’s pre-war stars, Warney Cresswell was called “the Prince of Full Backs” for his outstanding positioning and tackling abilities. He would rack up 290 appearances for the Blues over the course of 9 years.
Neville Southall: From garbage man to being considered the one of the best in his position in the league. Widely renowned for his shot stopping ability, particularly in one-on-one situations, Southall worked tirelessly to improve himself, saying “If I changed 100 things and got 1% better because of one of them, then it was worth it.”
