I watched a video featuring Kenny Dalglish talking about the five greatest players he had ever seen, and his choices immediately caught my attention.
Because when someone like King Kenny gives you a list like this, you listen.
Dalglish played alongside some of the greatest footballers in British football history, managed world-class players and competed at the highest level for decades.
And his five were:
1. Jimmy Johnstone
2. Graeme Souness
3. Ian Rush
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Denis Law
And honestly, what a list.
Jimmy Johnstone
Putting Jimmy Johnstone at No.1 is fascinating.
Known as “Jinky”, Johnstone was one of the most naturally gifted dribblers Scotland has ever produced.
He was a key member of Celtic’s famous Lisbon Lions team that won the European Cup in 1967, and he finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting that same year. (FourFourTwo)
For Dalglish, who grew up watching Scottish football before becoming a superstar himself, seeing Johnstone at his peak must have been something special.
And perhaps that’s why he tops the list.
Graeme Souness
This one won’t surprise Liverpool supporters.
Souness was an absolute monster in midfield.
He had the physicality, but he also had tremendous technical ability and footballing intelligence.
At Liverpool he won five league titles and three European Cups, becoming one of the defining players of the club’s greatest era. (FourFourTwo)
Dalglish didn’t just watch Souness.
He played alongside him.
So when Kenny puts Souness second, that’s a pretty incredible endorsement.
Ian Rush
Of course Ian Rush makes the list.
Rush was one of the greatest goalscorers Liverpool have ever had and remains the club’s all-time leading scorer.
His finishing, movement and ability to appear in exactly the right place made him one of the most feared strikers of his generation.
Dalglish and Rush formed one of Liverpool’s most iconic partnerships.
And what makes this selection even more interesting is that Kenny isn’t simply saying Rush was one of Liverpool’s greatest.
He’s saying Rush was one of the five greatest players he ever saw.
That’s some compliment.
4️⃣ Steven Gerrard
This is the selection that will probably create the most debate.
Gerrard didn’t play in the same era as Johnstone, Souness and Rush, so Dalglish’s judgement here comes from watching him throughout his career rather than playing alongside him.
But it’s impossible to argue against Gerrard’s ability.
He was capable of doing almost everything.
Passing.
Tackling.
Scoring.
Creating.
Leading.
And producing extraordinary moments when Liverpool needed him most.
His performance in the 2005 Champions League final and his two-goal FA Cup final display against West Ham the following year are just two examples of the impact he could have. (FourFourTwo)
For a player to make Kenny Dalglish’s personal top five is some achievement.
5️⃣ Denis Law
And finally, another Scottish icon.
Denis Law.
The “Lawman” was one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation and won the Ballon d’Or in 1964.
He scored 30 goals in 55 appearances for Scotland and won the European Cup, two league titles and the FA Cup with Manchester United.
Again, Dalglish would have seen Law playing at the highest level while growing up in Scotland.
So there is a real sense of history running through this list.
But what about Kenny himself?
This is the obvious question.
Where is Kenny Dalglish?
The man who won five league titles and three European Cups as a Liverpool player is arguably one of the greatest British footballers ever himself.
FourFourTwo ranks Dalglish as the second-greatest British footballer ever, behind only George Best.
But that’s perhaps what makes the list even more interesting.
Kenny isn’t putting himself into the conversation.
He’s looking at the players he watched and deciding who impressed him the most.
And I think that’s what makes his choices so fascinating.
What a football education
Just look at the names again:
Jimmy Johnstone.
Graeme Souness.
Ian Rush.
Steven Gerrard.
Denis Law.
Five incredible footballers from five different eras.
And three of them have an enormous connection to Liverpool.
The fact that Souness, Rush and Gerrard all make Dalglish’s personal top five tells you just how much extraordinary talent has passed through Anfield.
But I’m still stuck on Jimmy Johnstone at No.1.
If Kenny Dalglish says Jinky was the greatest player he ever saw, that’s good enough for me.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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