Liverpool’s record highest appearance makers of all-time including Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher

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Liverpool have had a host of fantastic servants with lots of legends even enjoying long spells at Anfield, so Rousing The Kop looks at their players with the most appearances.

Legends have littered Liverpool’s history as a football club, and feature throughout the Reds’ all-time record appearance makers list. While some stars emerged and stayed over the early stages of their existence, others matured in the modern day to become real fans’ favourites.

Yet even with 18 years at Anfield – including 12 spent as one of Liverpool’s many captains in the Premier League era – first for Reds appearances does not belong to Steven Gerrard. The top spot even evades Jamie Carragher, who recorded a 16-year career as a one-club player.

Instead, Ian Callaghan stands head and shoulders over every other Liverpool legend to date as the player with their record number of appearances. The midfielder’s total may never be beaten, as well, having registered 120 more outings with the Reds than even Carragher had.

So, with that in mind, Rousing The Kop takes a look at the top 10 record appearance makers for Liverpool and what those players achieved en route to setting one of the highest figures.

10) Alan Hansen – 620 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Centre-back
• Years at Liverpool: 1977-1990
• Appearances for Liverpool: 620
• Goals for Liverpool: 14
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x8), European Cup (x3), FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup (x4), European Super Cup, Community Shield (x6, twice shared)

Scotland centre-back Alan Hansen joined Liverpool from Partick Thistle in 1977 and went on to be one of their record appearance makers on 620 over the next 13 years. His debut came in a 1-0 win over Derby County and his final outing was a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers.

9) Bruce Grobbelaar – 628 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Goalkeeper
• Years at Liverpool: 1981-1994
• Appearances for Liverpool: 628
• Clean sheets for Liverpool: 267
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x6), European Cup, FA Cup (x3), EFL Cup (x3), Community Shield (x5)

Bruce Grobbelaar is one of the best goalkeepers to ever represent Liverpool and joined from Vancouver Whitecaps in 1981. The next 13 years saw him produce a host of legendary saves and put his gloves on several titles with 628 games in a dominant part of Liverpool’s history.

8) Tommy Smith – 638 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Centre-back
• Years at Liverpool: 1963-1978
• Appearances for Liverpool: 638
• Goals for Liverpool: 48
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x4), European Cup (x2), FA Cup (x2), UEFA Cup (x2), European Super Cup, Community Shield (x4, twice shared)

Tommy Smith is one of many local lads who became a Liverpool legend and features among their record appearance makers with 638. The defender was born in Liverpool and grew up supporting the Reds, making his debut in a 5-1 win over Birmingham City even more special.

7) Phil Neal – 650 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Right-back
• Years at Liverpool: 1974-1985
• Appearances for Liverpool: 650
• Goals for Liverpool: 59
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x8), European Cup (x4), UEFA Cup, EFL Cup (x4), European Super Cup, Community Shield (x5, once shared)

Phil Neal is not only among the Liverpool legends with the most appearances but is also one of the Reds’ most decorated players. After joining from Northampton Town in 1974, he won eight top-flight titles and four European Cups in 11 years before signing for Bolton Wanders.

6) Ian Rush – 660 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Centre-forward
• Years at Liverpool: 1980-1987, 1988-1996
• Appearances for Liverpool: 660
• Goals for Liverpool: 346
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x5), European Cup (x2), FA Cup (x3), EFL Cup (x5), Community Shield (x4, twice shared)

Two jaunts at Anfield helped Ian Rush to improve his place among Liverpool’s all-time record appearance makers on 660. He first joined the Reds from Chester in 1980 and produced an emphatic goalscoring record before signing with Juventus in 1987, just to return a year later.

4) Ray Clemence – 665 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Goalkeeper
• Years at Liverpool: 1967-1981
• Appearances for Liverpool: 665
• Clean sheets for Liverpool: 323
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x5), European Cup (x3), FA Cup, UEFA Cup (x2), EFL Cup, European Super Cup, Community Shield (x5, once shared)

Bill Shankly spotted a rising talent learning his trade at Scunthorpe United in 1967, so signed Ray Clemence for Liverpool aged 18. The rest, as they say, is history as the goalkeeper would get 665 appearances and was a vital cog in many European and league title-winning sides.

4) Emlyn Hughes – 665 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Centre-half
• Years at Liverpool: 1967-1979
• Appearances for Liverpool: 665
• Goals for Liverpool: 49
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x4), European Cup (x2), FA Cup, UEFA Cup (x2), European Super Cup, Community Shield (x3)

Emlyn Hughes joined Liverpool from Blackpool one year before Clemence in 1967 as Shankly bolstered his midfield. But his legend at Anfield was enriched as a defender midway through Hughes’ Liverpool days, which ended two years before Clemence’s but also saw 665 games.

3) Steven Gerrard – 710 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Central midfielder
• Years at Liverpool: 1998-2015
• Appearances for Liverpool: 710
• Goals for Liverpool: 186
• Trophies with Liverpool: Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup (x3), European Super Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)

Gerard Houllier turned to Liverpool’s bench at home to Blackburn Rovers in November 1998 and gave Gerrard his senior debut. It was the start of a fabled relationship which would even see him inspire a comeback to beat AC Milan and lift the Champions League as their captain.

2) Jamie Carragher – 737 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Centre-back
• Years at Liverpool: 1997-2013
• Appearances for Liverpool: 737
• Goals for Liverpool: 5
• Trophies with Liverpool: Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup (x2), EFL Cup (x3), European Super Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)

Fresh from Liverpool’s academy aged 18, Carragher endured a 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on his senior debut. Yet, just 10 days later, the defender scored the first of what proved to be five rare goals to help inspire a 3-0 win over Aston Villa on his first home start.

1) Ian Callaghan – 857 appearances for Liverpool

• Position: Right winger
• Years at Liverpool: 1960-1978
• Appearances for Liverpool: 857
• Goals for Liverpool: 68
• Trophies with Liverpool: First Division (x5), European Cup (x2), FA Cup (x2), UEFA Cup (x2), Second Division, European Super Cup, Community Shield (x6, twice shared)

It is probable that Callaghan will never get caught as the record Liverpool appearance-maker with 857 games on Merseyside. His first came in a 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers in the second division, before sealing promotion a term later and becoming a top-flight winner five times.

Callaghan is also one of three Liverpool players, alongside Roger Hunt and Gerry Byrne, who won the 1966 World Cup with England. But his only outing in the tournament came in the Three Lions’ final group stage game with France as the winger assisted once in a 2-0 win.