Picking a dream starting XI of Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool teammates

Steven Gerrard played his last match at Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool were defeated 3-1 by Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

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Over the years, the former England international has lined up alongside many wonderful players at his beloved club’s iconic home.

Gerrard may never have won the English title, but he lifted just about every other club honour available to him during 17 years of outstanding service on Merseyside.

As Gerrard comes to the end of his Liverpool career, we look back over the greatest players the midfielder played alongside at Anfield.

Sadly, none of the players who represented the Reds this season have made the cut…but comment below and let us know if there’s anyone we missed.

GK: Pepe Reina
Things may had ended on a flat note for Pepe Reina at Anfield, when he was deemed surplus to requirements by Brendan Rodgers, but in his prime the Spaniard was one of the finest stoppers in the Premier League.

He managed 28 clean sheets in his first 50 Liverpool appearances having been brought to the club by Rafael Bentiez, and collected three Golden Glove awards.

The World Cup winner currently features for Bayern Munich.

RB: Markus Babbel
Both the resilient Steve Finnan and the flashy Glen Johnson were considered for this position.

However, despite arriving at Liverpool at the tail end of his career, Markus Babbel gets the nod.

He arrived having won four German titles and the UEFA Cup with Bayern, not to mention a European Championship title with the national side.

He impressed with his forays forward from the right-back position during over 70 appearances with the Reds.

CB: Jamie Carragher
Only one other player—the great Ian Callaghan—has featured for Liverpool more than Jamie Carragher, who represented Liverpool with distinction between 1996 and 2013.

He initially featured in offensive areas, and on the right, before establishing himself as one of the best centre-backs in world football.

He was outstanding as Liverpool won the European Cup in 2005 and, like Gerrard, was a one-club man.

CB: Sami Hyypia
The Finnish defender was an absolute class act at Anfield and was an ever-present in the Liverpool defence for a decade.

He arrived from Willem II in 1999 and proved to be an excellent acquisition.

Hyypia was a member of Liverpool’s famous five-title winning side in 2001 and also lifted the Champions League in 2005.

Gerrard replaced him as captain in 2003.

LB: John Arne Riise
Riise and Gerrard were teammates for seven seasons, a period when both loved nothing more than lashing long-range shots at goal.

However, Riise was much more than just a powerful left foot—even if this is how he is best remembered by many Premier League fans. He was an excellent driving force and his indomitable approach endeared him to Liverpool fans

The Norwegian was present for the glorious triumph of 2005 before leaving for AS Roma three years later.

CM: Didi Hamann
Hamann played 283 matches in all competitions for Liverpool over seven years, and was a consistent, reliable performer in the heart of the midfield.

He impressed under both Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez, and the German’s half-time introduction in the Champions League final of 2005 was one of the things that swung the match in Liverpool’s favour.

Like others on this list, he was a member of the much-decorated side of 2001.

CM: Xabi Alonso
A magnificent passer, Alonso’s measured approach was a magnificent foil for Gerrard’s drive and tenacity through the middle of the park.

Fortunately for Liverpool, the two enjoyed a superb understanding.

He left for Real Madrid in 2009 for a fee of £30 million and won the World Cup with Spain a year later.

CM: Javier Mascherano
Javier Mascherano was the third man in the magnificent midfield alongside Gerrard and Alonso towards the end of the last decade.

He arrived at the club in January 2007 after a brief spell at West Ham United, and quickly demonstrated his ability to marshal the base of the defence and break-up opposition attacks.

He left for Barcelona in 2010 and has since become an indispensible figure in the greatest era in the club’s history, winning the Champions League in 2011.

FW: Fernando Torres
Amidst the misery of the last few years of Fernando Torres’s career, it’s become easy to forget just how good he was in his prime.

He averaged over a goal every other game for Liverpool in the Premier League—65 in 102 appearances—and was the fastest player in the history of the club to reach 50 goals.

Torres and Gerrard nearly drove Liverpool to the EPL crown in 2009, where they finished only four points behind Manchester United.

FW: Luis Suarez
When Torres was sold to Chelsea for £50 million, Liverpool needed a replacement.

They found something a little more than that, as Luis Suarez proved to be all that and then some.

Of course, there were the controversies and the unwanted headlines, but Suarez lit up Anfield like few others before him.

Like Torres, Suarez almost inspired the Reds to the title, before they slipped out of contention last season.

FW: Robbie Fowler
While it’s hard to leave Michael Owen and even Dirk Kuyt out of this selection, we have to close with Fowler, who is one of the few players who the Kop treat with the same kind of reverence as they do Gerrard.

Until this weekend, the striker held the record for the fastest-ever Premier League hat-trick, and was nicknamed ‘God’ by the Anfield faithful.

He remains the sixth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history.