Liverpool's Ultimate Tough Guy XI

If you could pick an all-time Liverpool XI that featured the toughest players that have ever played for the club, who would be in it?

That's precisely the question I have tried to answer in this article today, but the only way I could do it was to omit the notion that the XI would be in a playable formation.

Liverpool have had some tough nuts over the years, but suffice to say that Jamie Redknapp and Michael Owen don't feature.

Gerry Byrne

Gerry Byrne is perhaps most famous for playing in the 1965 FA Cup final for Liverpool with a broken collarbone.

Having suffered the injury just three minutes into the game, the no-substitute rule meant Byrne saw the game through to the end—including extra time.

Impressive.

Julian Dicks

Julian Dicks might not exactly be one of the best Liverpool players that the club has signed throughout history, but he could certainly put a tackle in when he wanted.

This video—presumably made by a West Ham fan—shows some of Dicks' goals, tackles and brawls during his career.

Dicks' nickname at West Ham was the Terminator, a nickname which gave rise to the above video's accompanying soundtrack.

Neil Ruddock

Neil Ruddock once broke Manchester United striker Andy Cole's leg in two places following a tough challenge.

He was also notorious for winding players up during a match, none more so than Eric Cantona—as highlighted in this Soccer AM footage above.

Ruddock thrived on physical clashes.

Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith is up there as possibly the biggest defensive enforcer that has ever played for the club.

As Ron Yeats states in the above video, "Tommy didn't take many prisoners."

I'd be inclined to agree.

Walter Wadsworth

Walter Wadsworth played as a defender for Liverpool from 1912 to 1926.

He is perhaps best known for punching a Sheffield United fan during a game after he had reportedly offended the player.

Wadsworth—not to be confused with lyrical genius Wordsworth—once stated a very memorable quote, which goes a little something like this:

"Ball may pass me, but man never!"

Jimmy Case

Jimmy Case was as hard-working for the club as he was tough.

The defensive midfielder played for Liverpool 269 times and scored 46 goals.

Kenny Dalglish

Graeme Souness himself states that Kenny Dalglish was a hard and tough man, he just wasn't vocal about it.

Dalglish wasn't fazed by any defender, which shows his true fearlessness within the confines of the game.

If you're not scared of anyone, you're tough.

Graeme Souness

Central midfielders have to have a certain element of toughness about them, and Graeme Souness epitomises that word.

The Scottish hothead could be considered a little crazy after once driving a Galatasaray flag into the centre circle turf of fierce rivals Fenerbahce after a cup final result.

That takes some bottle.

Jamie Carragher

You don't get to play centre-half nearly 700 times for one of the biggest teams in the world unless you can handle yourself.

Locally-born Jamie Carragher is idolised on Merseyside for his never-say-die attitude.

Carragher has been fortunate to escape major injuries throughout his career despite his robust style of play.

Ron Yeats

Ron Yeats worked in a slaughter house as a young lad, so he obviously must have had a strong stomach for blood.

Yeats was nicknamed Colossus for his huge physical presence that he brought to the game, and he featured over 300 times for Liverpool in the league.

Steven Gerrard

As the song goes:

"

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard...he'll pass the ball 40 yards...he's big and he's [expletive] hard, Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.

"

Gerrard encompasses everything that Liverpool stands for, and his determination is second to none.

Unafraid of the strong tackle, unafraid to do the hard work and unafraid to try the impossible.

Gerrard is as mentally tough as he is physically.

Afterthoughts

Tough men of old are a lot different to the modern-day tough footballers that we see.

No longer can players get away with kicking anything that moves and punching people in the face.

Football has evolved and so have the rules of the game in an effort to clamp down on career-threatening injuries—after all, the money that clubs pay for players these days means they have to protect their investment.

There have been some great tough Liverpool players that didn't make this list, and perhaps Steve McMahon is the one candidate who should also be on here.

Next time, Macca.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out Liverpool's Future: 10 Steps To Ensure Champions League Qualification, as well as Liverpool Transfer Rumours: 9 Latest Players Linked With a Liverpool Move.

On Twitter? Follow me @petercwebster where I post all my B/R content.