Liverpool have named 11 full-time captains since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93, so Rousing The Kop has taken a look into the history of the Reds’ armband.
The Merseyside outfit were one of the original teams in the Premier League after entering it when the division broke from the Football League. But titles have not been too forthcoming since as Liverpool had to wait to 2019/20 to be Premier League champions for the first time.
Despite some barren years, Liverpool have always remained a part of the top English teams. The Anfield squad have also seen an array of Liverpool legends past and present take on the role of captain. Leaders have also shown the way through performances and their presence.
Being the Reds’ captain carries a very heavy responsibility with the history of Liverpool deep with success. So, with that in mind, Rousing The Kop takes a look at who has taken on being the captain of Liverpool in the Premier League era and what they achieved on Merseyside…
Mark Wright – 1991 to 1993
- Position: Centre-back
- Years at Liverpool: 1991-1998
- Appearances for Liverpool: 210
- Games as captain: 55
- Goals for Liverpool: 9
- Trophies with Liverpool: FA Cup
Mark Wright had the honour of being the first Liverpool captain in the Premier League era in 1992/93. The defender switched Derby County for the Reds a year before the top-flight split from the EFL and Graeme Souness selected Wright as Liverpool’s captain in December 1991.
Souness awarded Wright their armband in response to a 1-0 defeat to Peterborough United, who were a third-tier side, in the EFL Cup. Yet while the Reds’ League Cup campaign proved a huge disappointment, Wright then went on to captain Liverpool to win the FA Cup in 1992.
But after just one season in the newly established Premier League, Wright lost the captain’s armband as Liverpool looked for new leadership. He still remained a key part of the backline at Anfield for most of the remainder of Wright’s career, though, before then retiring in 1998.
John Barnes – 1993
- Position: Winger
- Years at Liverpool: 1987-1997
- Appearances for Liverpool: 407
- Games as captain: 111
- Goals for Liverpool: 108
- Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x2), FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup, Community Shield (x3)
His first experience of being the captain of Liverpool saw John Barnes adopt the armband on a temporary basis in January 1993. The forward would then spend the next few terms acting as Liverpool’s vice-captain as managers regularly favoured alternatives for their full-time gig.
Ian Rush – 1993 to 1996
- Position: Centre-forward
- Years at Liverpool: 1980-1987, 1988-1996
- Appearances for Liverpool: 660
- Games as captain: 114
- Goals for Liverpool: 346
- Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x5), European Cup (x2), FA Cup (x3), EFL Cup (x5), Community Shield (x4, twice shared)
Souness’ search for Liverpool’s captain after taking the armband away from Wright in 1993 saw Ian Rush become the skipper. He was already engrained in Liverpool’s history as a five-time European Cup winner yet led by example with 45 goals in three seasons as the captain.
Rush enjoyed a decorated career for Liverpool throughout his two spells on Merseyside. But the forward’s second stint at Anfield, in which he captained the Reds in the Premier League, only saw the Wales icon help the club to win one of his five Football League Cup titles there.
John Barnes – 1996 to 1997
After enjoying a brief taste of what life as the captain of Liverpool in the Premier League era was like in 1993, Roy Evans gifted Barnes the role full-time in 1996. But his jaunt leading the ranks at Anfield seldom saw much success and Barnes lost their armband again during 1997.
Paul Ince – 1997 to 1999
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Years at Liverpool: 1997-1999
- Appearances for Liverpool: 81
- Games as captain: 81
- Goals for Liverpool: 17
- Trophies with Liverpool: None
Liverpool thought they signed the missing piece of their midfield as Paul Ince, an established Manchester United legend, arrived at Anfield in 1997. The midfielder almost won it all at Old Trafford after lifting the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
But Ince would never claim a piece of silverware in the red of Liverpool, who had named the England hero as their captain upon his arrival from Inter Milan. His two seasons for the Reds saw them finish third in the 1997/98 Premier League table and then seventh come 1998/99.
Jamie Redknapp – 1999 to 2002
- Position: Central midfielder
- Years at Liverpool: 1991-2002
- Appearances for Liverpool: 308
- Games as captain: 25
- Goals for Liverpool: 41
- Trophies with Liverpool: EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield
When Ince left Liverpool to little fanfare, manager Gerard Houllier turned to the player who had served as the club’s vice-captain to take over the armband in Jamie Redknapp. But their armband still continued to move around the club as injury problems plagued the midfielder.
Robbie Fowler – 2000 to 2001
- Position: Centre-forward
- Years at Liverpool: 1993-2001, 2006-07
- Appearances for Liverpool: 369
- Games as captain: 13
- Goals for Liverpool: 183
- Trophies with Liverpool: FA Cup, EFL Cup (x2), UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup
Houllier chose Robbie Fowler to be the captain of Liverpool for the 2000/01 season after the Reds lost Redknapp to a long-term injury. Fowler had been heavily linked with a transfer out of Anfield over that summer after Liverpool signed Emile Heskey but Houllier backed his star.
Fowler would also sporadically claim the captaincy throughout his career on Merseyside. Yet only in 2000/01 was Fowler the de facto full-time skipper as Liverpool produced a decorated season. The Reds went on to win the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and even the UEFA Cup that term.
Sami Hyypia – 2002 to 2003
- Position: Centre-back
- Years at Liverpool: 1999-2009
- Appearances for Liverpool: 464
- Games as captain: 204
- Goals for Liverpool: 35
- Trophies with Liverpool: Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup (x2), UEFA Super Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)
Despite being the stand-in Liverpool captain on many occasions, Sami Hyypia was officially only the Reds’ skipper for the 2002/03 season. Still, that season saw the Merseyside natives win the EFL Cup. Hyypia had also been Liverpool’s captain for their 2001 UEFA Cup final win.
Steven Gerrard – 2003 to 2015
- Position: Central midfielder
- Years at Liverpool: 1998-2015
- Appearances for Liverpool: 710
- Games as captain: 472
- Goals for Liverpool: 186
- Trophies with Liverpool: Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup (x3), UEFA Super Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)
Hyypia only enjoyed one term as Liverpool’s official captain as their armband passed over to the greatest skipper the Anfield club have yet witnessed in the Premier League era in Steven Gerrard. The midfielder rose from Liverpool’s academy to embody everything they stood for.
Gerrard was the embodiment of what it exactly meant to be a Liverpool player and he led by example for 12 years. He was also the architect of their fabled comeback to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, the greatest night of Gerrard’s run as Liverpool’s captain.
Yet despite everything Gerrard gave Liverpool and what he showed as the captain, his hands never touched a Premier League title. The closest Gerrard went to winning it was in 2013/14 but his slip against Chelsea was costly 14 days after famously declaring, ‘This does not slip’.
Jordan Henderson – 2015 to 2023
- Position: Central midfielder
- Years at Liverpool: 2011-2023
- Appearances for Liverpool: 429
- Games as captain: 268
- Goals for Liverpool: 33
- Trophies with Liverpool: Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup (x2), FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield
Gerrard trading Liverpool for LA Galaxy in 2015 saw then-coach Brendan Rodgers turn to the man long-seen as his successor, Jordan Henderson, to be the new captain. The midfielder’s arrival from Sunderland in 2011 had even come with the desire to fill Gerrard’s void one day.
Henderson would prove himself to be a great Liverpool captain for much of the midfielder’s time on Merseyside, as well. He led the Reds idyllically as a big-game player on a number of occasions and he proved to be a great ambassador for matters of the field, as well as on it.
While Gerrard failed to bring a Premier League title to Anfield during his fabled career, their wait finally ended with Henderson as captain when Liverpool overcame the postponement due to Covid-19 in 2019/20. He even guided them back to Champions League glory in 2019.
But after building up a mighty legacy after ending Liverpool’s 30-year top-flight title drought and 14-year Champions League drought, Henderson risked it all in 2023 by moving to Saudi Arabia. Many questioned him for going to a nation with a questionable human rights record.
Virgil van Dijk – 2023 to present
- Position: Centre-back
- Years at Liverpool: 2018 to present
- Appearances for Liverpool: More than 270
- Games as captain: More than 85
- Goals for Liverpool: More than 20
- Trophies with Liverpool: Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup (x2), FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield
Liverpool named Virgil van Dijk as the Reds’ latest captain in July 2023 following the transfer of Henderson to Al Ettifaq. The Merseysiders also named academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold as their vice-captain in a new leadership group after James Milner’s contract expired.
Van Dijk was a natural fit to replace Henderson as the captain of Liverpool, having also worn the armband for the Netherlands ever since March 2018. He had also captained the Reds 41 times before becoming the full-time skipper, with Van Dijk’s first time being in October 2018.
Manager Jurgen Klopp saw fit to hand Van Dijk the captain’s armband for the first time when Liverpool beat Red Star Belgrade 4-0 in the Champions League group stage. He also led the Reds in the Premier League for the first time three days later in a 4-1 win against Cardiff City.
His first game as the official Liverpool captain in August 2023 saw Van Dijk lead the Reds in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Liverpool finished the 2023/24 term, also Klopp’s last season in charge, third in the Premier League table and Van Dijk scored to beat Chelsea 1-0 to lift the EFL Cup.
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