Jamie Carragher caused a stir by naming his own personal all-time Liverpool XI recently.
The former Reds centre-back took a look back through the annals of Anfield history to pick the best Liverpool player ever in each position.
Carragher included two of Arne Slot’s current team, with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah both deservedly sneaking in.
The Sky Sports pundit also admitted that full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson may still come into the equation over time.
While name-checking Robertson as a potential option at left-back, Carragher eventually went with countryman Steve Nicol as his choice for the left side of the defence.
Never shy of an opinion or two of his own as a pundit for ESPN, Nicol has now given his reaction to Carragher’s all-time Anfield XI.
Steve Nicol happy with Jamie Carragher recognition
Nicol was a fantastic player for Liverpool. The Scot joined the Reds in 1981, eventually staying at the club for 13 seasons.
Over the course of that illustrious period, Nicol won four First Division titles, three FA Cups, a European Cup and a League Cup, making 468 appearances and scoring 46 goals.
Although mostly a right-back, Nicol even managed to win the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1989. A quite remarkable achievement, all things considered.
Nowadays, younger fans will know Nicol as the occasionally grumpy pundit giving his take on all matters regarding Liverpool.
READ MORE: Steve Nicol says one Liverpool player was ‘wasteful’ against AC Milan on Tuesday
But speaking to ESPN on Saturday, the 62-year-old cut a much happier figure after being asked for his reaction to Carragher’s team.
“It’s always nice to get a mention,” said Nicol. Asked for his thoughts on the team in general, the former defender admitted that he couldn’t disagree with Carragher.
“It’s hard to argue,” he said. “[Bruce] Grobbelaar would have been fighting with Clemence, after that, no.
“Has to be Dalglish and Rush. Barnsey. you can’t argue with that, you can’t argue with Salah now. Stevie G, Souness, yeah, it’s hard to argue.”
Steve Nicol deserves more respect
Perhaps it’s a by-product of his at times abrasive punditry style, maybe it’s because he now spends his time over in America, but it feels as though Nicol doesn’t always get his due as a Liverpool legend.
Whereas other figures such as Rush, Barnes and of course Dalglish are often seen in and around the club, Nicol never is.
It should be said that the team the former Scotland international was playing in is regarded as one of the best in British club football history.
As a result, while Nicol may not get the spotlight from that side, he is still given recognition as being a big part of a wonderful team.
Nevertheless, it was nice to see Carragher tip his hat to a man who, although painfully blunt at times, is more often than not right on the money when it comes to Liverpool.
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