Top 15 players under Jurgen Klopp

In his near-nine years as Liverpool manager; Jurgen Klopp used 120 different players. I’ve attempted to select and rank the best 15 of them…

15 - Thiago Alcantara 

Klopp stats: 2020-24, 98 appearances, 3 goals

Signing Thiago was a departure from the ‘young, up-and-coming, great value, high potential’ modus operandi that has defined Liverpool’s transfer policy in the Klopp era. Thiago was in his late twenties, obviously had no resale value, and was a ready-made star who had won it all. It’s important to note that Liverpool (for the first time in arguably thirty years) were signing a world-class footballer, in his prime years, from a top club - he had just won man of the match in the Champions League final for Bayern! There will be some revisionism around his time at Liverpool - no league title or Champions League, but he was absolutely majestic in 21/22, when we went so close to getting both. His displays against United in the league and City in the FA Cup semi-final in the April of that season are two of the best I’ve ever seen from a Liverpool midfielder, and it’s worth mentioning that in the tougher seasons of 20/21 and 22/23, he’s the only midfielder Klopp doesn’t give up on at any point. 23/24 was a dramatic upping of his injury issues, and he leaves with less than 100 appearances. But, he is one of the most gifted players this club has ever seen, let alone the Klopp era. If only we could’ve seen more than flashes. 

14 - Diogo Jota

Klopp stats: 2020-24, 145 appearances, 56 goals 

A day after the Thiago signing, Liverpool announced Jota’s arrival from Wolves. His first season was a successful one and our worst part of the campaign was when he was injured. His ability to find the net was impressive but he did ghost in and out of games, and this trend continued in 21/22. However, his season was fabulous numerically, and was a key figure in our push for all four trophies, scoring in the penalty shootouts of both the League Cup and FA Cup final. 22/23 was injury-ravaged but the positive form he ended it with was carried into 23/24, where he has taken his game up a level. Jota is arguably Liverpool’s most reliable forward in front of goal and is one of the best finishers of recent times. His injury record is a black mark against his name but he is also versatile in his positioning and is so two-footed, and scores so many important goals. A terrific signing.

13 - Jordan Henderson

Klopp stats: 2015-23, 304 appearances, 13 goals 

One of the key figures associated with the Klopp era; Henderson’s career at Liverpool predates the German manager by more than four years. He was, though, still in his infancy as the club captain when Klopp arrived. Klopp’s coaching and belief in the player took his career to places it hadn’t been before - Henderson gets his critics but the two seasons he put together in 18/19 and 19/20 were outstanding, and they were our two best years under Klopp. He was a ball of pressing energy, a captain with every facet of the phrase ‘lead by example’, and a player whose abilities on the ball had grown greatly, too. He was never the same after his injury in 20/21, and Klopp’s continued loyalty to Henderson - even handing him an ill-advised new contract - meant that by the time he left at the end of 22/23, it was overdue. Henderson lifted seven trophies as Liverpool captain and his contribution to them cannot be forgotten, but should not be overstated either - he was never Liverpool’s best or most important player.

12 - Philippe Coutinho 

Klopp stats: 2015-18, 89 appearances, 37 goals 

Rewriting of history is something all football fans are guilty of, but the case of Philippe Coutinho is perhaps the most compelling case of it. Under Brendan Rodgers, Coutinho was Liverpool’s star, but he was too maverick-y - capable of beauty but also wildly inconsistent. Klopp turned him into one of the best creative players around. Played on the left wing for much of his time in charge; Klopp moved the Brazilian into an attacking midfield role for the last few games of 16/17 - he was monumental at West Ham - and never looked back. We hear so much about him as a technical midfielder but for me, we got to see far too little of him there. Another Coutinho myth is that he gave up in 17/18. Ha. His first half of the season in 17/18 was unreal. That was the best half-season of his career, as he showed Barcelona why they should spend so much on him in the January. You might not have forgiven him, you might not like him, but Coutinho was magnificent under Klopp. The £13m player became a £142m one.

 

11 - Joel Matip

Klopp stats: 2016-24, 201 appearances, 11 goals

We all love Joel Matip and the legend of his quirks, mannerisms and persona that follows him around. But it’s important to note that we’re talking about a genuinely brilliant Liverpool player here. Matip was Klopp’s first major signing, and I remember his debut against Leicester and thinking he was just a level above what we’d recently had. He’s technical, he can be athletic, he’s smart, he’s wily, he’s insanely good on the ball, he’s anything you want him to be. There was a point in 21/22 when the discourse was whether he had now overtaken Virgil Van Dijk. Of course, he’s been plagued by injuries and so has never had a full season, really, but what’s always impressed me about Matip is that every time he suffers an injury, and you think he’s probably done, he comes back and is not just at his previous level, but has added something new to his game. The amount of rebirths and resurgences he’s had has been quite a story. One of the most underrated players I’ve seen at Liverpool, Matip really was one of a kind in every way. Oh, he was free, as well, by the way.

10 - James Milner

Klopp stats: 2015-23, 323 appearances, 25 goals 

I didn’t know what to make of the James Milner signing. It felt like Rodgers got him because he was available on a free, and nothing else. Even in the early days of Klopp, I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with this journeyman he’d inherited. I had no idea that he would become one of the most pivotal figures in the best period I’ve ever seen at my club. Milner became the standard-setter, the one any player could go to for advice, the one who could give out praise and punishment in the same breath. He never once felt pressure - some of the best penalties we’ve ever seen. The most reliable player at the club; Milner filled in wherever needed - on the wing? I’ll give it a go. Left-back for a whole season? No problem. Right-back now? Let’s do it. Midfield? That’s what I came for. His abilities on the pitch waned but Liverpool and Klopp continued to keep him around for his reliability, versatility and importance. He’d seen it all, there was nothing he didn’t know. He was an absolute master of seeing a game out and while we haven’t missed Milner as a starter this season, I’m certain that we’ve missed his wise ways as a time-killing, game-securing substitute. The very definition of ‘professional’, it is not an exaggeration to say that without Milner, we wouldn’t have achieved everything we did under Klopp. 

9 - Georginio Wijnaldum

Klopp stats: 2016-21, 237 appearances, 22 goals 

There was always one. You could have ten Reds sat around a table in a pub, and nine of them would wax lyrical about Wijnaldum. They’d see his role, they’d know how important he was, how he kept things ticking, that even though he wasn’t ostentatious in the slightest, he was a key component to our success. And there’d be one who didn’t get him, didn’t get what he offered, wanted a more flashy, thrilling midfielder who may have scored more often but wouldn’t have offered half of what Wijnaldum did in work-rate, press-resistance, ball-retention and game management. Remember, Wijnaldum was an attacking player at a relegated Newcastle, who often played up front - Klopp noticed there was more to him than met the eye, and converted him into this all-action midfielder, who everything quietly revolved around. Probably the best coaching job Klopp’s ever done on an individual and Wijnaldum paid back his faith with impeccable service and availability. A penchant for big goals, none bigger than the two in the Barcelona comeback in 18/19. An average final season in 20/21 shouldn’t detract from the rest of his Liverpool career. We haven’t replaced his metronomic attributes since.

8 - Fabinho

Klopp stats: 2018-23, 219 appearances, 11 goals 

It was tough to choose between Wijnaldum and Fabinho, and in the end, what separated them for me is that there was a time, from early 2019 to early 2022, where Fabinho was genuinely the best defensive midfielder in the world, and I wouldn’t have swapped him for anyone on the planet. A Fabinho injury was the most-feared one, due to the lack of depth in his area and the impossible task of replacing him in the team. It took him a while to get in the side but once he was there, he was never out of it and even though there’ll be some focus on his pretty dreadful final season in 22/23, it’s telling that Klopp always came back to him, and never had him dropped for long. Fabinho’s scanning, his defensive reading and his monstrous physical ability made him an unquantifiable force at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and it was the extra protection that he offered the centre-backs that allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to constantly push on. Sometimes it can get forgotten how good he was technically, too. His passing was superb and he possessed a bullet of a strike. It’s probably Liverpool’s over-reliance and over-playing of him for four years that caused his body to fall off a cliff last season, but it will never be forgotten how crucial he was. 

7 - Andy Robertson

Klopp stats: 2017-24, 297 appearances, 11 goals

Hull fans will tell you that Robertson was also destined for stardom but when Klopp signed him, he appeared to be competition for a place, rather than on his way to being the best left-back of the last decade. It didn’t take him long to nail down his spot in the team and he’s been in there ever since, largely untested. Robertson is the embodiment of what a Liverpool footballer should be - imaginative, does the basics well, hard-working, passionate, fearless, committed, relentless, standard-setting. But, as much as his mental attributes deserve endless praise, it can sometimes get overlooked how talented he is, as well. Let’s be clear about this - his story from Tesco to the Champions League is not a fairytale, it’s because he’s a fucking wonderful footballer and has devoted his life to it. It goes under the radar how quick he is, he’s got a wand of a left foot and he’s used it to create and set up chances for his team-mates on infinite occasions. Like many others on this list, 18/19 and 19/20 were his peak, but even now, after a few rougher seasons, his position in the team has been largely unquestioned. A player who really is emblematic of the Klopp era.

6 - Roberto Firmino

Klopp stats: 2015-23, 355 appearances, 111 goals 

I’ve been thinking a lot about 15/16 in the last few days and Klopp’s early use of Firmino is one of the things I’ve always found most fascinating about that season. He inherits this player who’s only been at the club a matter of months, who Rodgers didn’t really want, and then Klopp starts him at Chelsea as a false nine and puts him there for the years to come. For most of that season, he is used as a ten, and then from 16/17 onwards, becomes a structurally essential player to Klopp. Let’s be clear about this; Firmino was Klopp’s system. The attack revolved around his work without the ball, his constant bringing of others into play, his creativity, his vision, his potency in and around the box. 17/18 Firmino was one of the best individual seasons I’ve seen from a forward at this club. He re-defined what we want and expect from a forward. He basically had everything. He was one of the hardest-working players you could wish to see, he’d run himself into the ground week after week and yet he also possessed quality and flair that has rarely been seen by any who have adorned the Liverpool red. There were times he could be frustrating and needed to be more selfish, but his uniqueness made him one of the most loved players of this era. He probably should’ve left a year or two earlier as his final seasons weren’t up to his previous standards, but what a joy of a footballer.

5 - Trent Alexander-Arnold

Klopp stats: 2016-24, 310 appearances, 19 goals

Academy success hasn’t been much of a thing at Liverpool. Since the burst of Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard in the 1990s, we’ve only really had Raheem Sterling - and even he was bought from QPR. Klopp’s faith in Alexander-Arnold has meant that he was the ‘Scouser in the team’ we craved, and his ascension has given inspiration to the likes of Curtis Jones. Klopp entrusted Alexander-Arnold with a few starts in 16/17 before he was handed the right-back spot after an injury to Nathaniel Clyne at the start of 17/18. His precocious talent soon became apparent. His ingenuity and frightening ability to pick a pass from deep and to unlock a defence from anywhere made him a mainstay of the team. 18/19 and 19/20 were magnificent for him and while there will always be debate over his position, he’s someone who offers you a crazy injection of quality, wherever you deploy him. Alexander-Arnold is arguably the greatest success story of the Klopp era, as he’s coached an academy graduate into one of the most gloriously rare and influential footballers in Europe. 

4 - Sadio Mane

Klopp stats: 2016-22, 269 appearances, 120 goals

I liked Sadio Mane. I thought he was an exciting, electric footballer at Southampton who could get you on the edge of your seat. I was happy when he became the major signing of Klopp’s first summer at the club, though somewhat brought back down to Earth by Southampton fans’ cries of inconsistency. Mane was anything but inconsistent for Liverpool. On his debut at Arsenal, he scored a belter and he never looked back. He was our best player in 16/17 on the right wing and was then moved to the left from 17/18 onwards. To my surprise, he was even better. I think this is what gets underappreciated about Mane; his versatility. Remember, he ends his Liverpool career through the middle. So that’s concerted periods on the right, left and central, where he’s been world-class. 18/19 brought about his night in Munich but 19/20 was his season. Norwich, Villa, West Ham, Wolves. So many crucial goals and the best player in the league as Liverpool finally won the title. He wasn’t quite at the same levels in 20/21 or 21/22 but was still imperative in both seasons and his insatiable knack of scoring clutch and important goals never seemed to desert him. Lightning pace, devastating skill, phenomenal striking ability, ridiculous goal record and a desire to work and defend from the front - he was like a caged animal at times - made him an all-time Liverpool great.

 

3 - Alisson Becker

Klopp stats: 2018-24, 263 appearances, 1 goal

Klopp had been through Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius and it took the Champions League Final of 2018 for the manager to decide he’d seen enough. He went out and paid the money for a top-class goalkeeper at Roma, and he’s paid back every penny. Alisson has been instrumental in everything that has been won under Klopp. I remember watching him in 18/19, really closely watching him and wondering if I’d ever seen goalkeeping of this standard before. His saves en route to the Champions League final - Napoli, Barcelona - and his immaculate league performances that year made for one of the all-time great debut campaigns. He’s just kept on getting better and better, though. In great Liverpool teams like 19/20 and 21/22, he’s class. In less good ones, like 20/21 and 22/23, he’s class. Klopp’s defensive philosophy is quite reductive and boils down to having a goalkeeper of this ilk. I can’t feel thankful enough for this signing as it really was a game-changer, not just for Liverpool but for the Premier League as well. Caoimhin Kelleher has become the goalkeeper he is because of working with Alisson. I truly believe he’s among the greatest to ever keep goal in this country - Van Der Sar, Cech, Schmeichel - he’s with them. He does stuff that you don’t think is doable, he saves us time after time after time, his highlights reel is breathtaking. Newcastle away this season. Best save I’ve ever seen a Liverpool goalkeeper make.

2 - Virgil Van Dijk

Klopp stats: 2018-24, 270 appearances, 23 goals

Van Dijk and Alisson can get clumped together because they arrived within six months of one another, were both bought with the Coutinho money and together; had a transformational effect on the team and its fortunes. I’ve never seen a defender like Van Dijk at Liverpool. Like Alisson, he’s in the John Terry, Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, Sol Campbell category. Van Dijk’s greatest strength is that he simply doesn’t have a weakness. He’s a sumptuous passer. He’s remarkable physically. His technical ability is unbelievable. He commands his defence and leads them. His scanning is second to none. His fitness is unblemished. His one-v-one record is alien. This is a once-in-a-generation standard of footballer, a player so consistently exceptional that even the most minor of misjudgements is raised by rival fans as evidence to the contrary. Mohamed Salah in 17/18, Luis Suarez in 13/14 and Fernando Torres in 07/08 are the peak standard for Liverpool attackers, and the standard for defenders at this club is Van Dijk in 18/19, 19/20, 21/22 and 23/24. 

1 - Mohamed Salah

Klopp stats: 2017-24, 349 appearances, 211 goals

Liverpool’s greatest player under Klopp; possibly Liverpool’s greatest player full stop. The signing of Salah was one which was perhaps surprising - his stint at Chelsea was short and disastrous, Liverpool had tried to sign him before and failed, he’d improved massively in Italy but if he comes in and plays on the right, what happens to Mane? It didn’t take long. His debut season at Liverpool was on another planet. 44 goals and some of the most spell-binding technical football we’ve ever seen from any individual. He wouldn’t be able to repeat that season again, but every year; he has added something to his game. His technique, flair, pace and skill have always been there but what has developed in the last few years is his vision and creativity. Salah’s assist tally is that of a chief creator, yet he posts absurd numbers of goals too. 211 goals makes him Liverpool’s fifth-highest scorer ever (in 132 years) but he has appeared way, way, way fewer times than any of the four in front of them, who were all strikers, rather than wingers. I’d never be able to write words that could do Salah justice but for six months in 21/22, I genuinely believed Liverpool had the best player in the world. His goal tally is terrifying but it’s also his making of goalscoring into an art form - his catalogue of beauties and individual moments of genius is wide. We might never see the like again.

Honourable mentions go to Adam Lallana, Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi. Fifteen was hard.

Daniel