Liverpool: Best Team of the Steven Gerrard Era

This season has seen Steven Gerrard bag his 100th Premier League goal and record his 450th appearance in the competition. 

So, what better way to celebrate than by looking over Gerrard's career and highlighting the best players that have lined up alongside him since his first-team debut in 1998.

After all, while he's a great player, Gerrard has had some help along the way.

The following 11 players—including Gerrard himself—represent the best team you can field (in a traditional 4-4-2 formation) using players who have played alongside Gerrard.

With that in mind, a player's ability has been judged over the years he played for Liverpool while Gerrard was part of the first team.

As an example, Robbie Fowler's first stint with Liverpool took place between 1993 and 2001, but only his performances from 1998 to 2001 are eligible for judgement.  

Enjoy the list and make your opinion heard in the comments.

Pepe Reina

Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Spanish
At Liverpool: 2005—Present (currently on loan with Napoli)
Games played for Liverpool: 394 (at time of publishing)

Signed from Spanish club Villarreal in the summer of 2005, Pepe Reina immediately took the starting goalkeeper role from Jerzy Dudek. For the next eight seasons, no one would come close to realistically winning the job from him.

In his first 50 games for Liverpool Reina kept 28 clean sets. His immediate success endeared him to the Anfield faithful, his clownish off-the-field antics endeared him to his team mates.

Reina won the Premier League's Golden Glove award over three consecutive seasons between 2005 and 2008, and he was named Liverpool's Player of the Season in 2009/10.

Currently still contracted to Liverpool, Pepe Reina is spending the 2013/14 season on loan with Napoli.

John Arne Riise

Position: Full-back
Nationality: Norwegian
At Liverpool: 2001—2008
Games played for Liverpool: 348

Arguably the finest left-back in the Premier League during the height of his skills, John Arne Riise was the epitome of the modern full-back.

Quick, a good dribbler and the possessor of a devastating shot and cross, Riise scored 33 goals for Liverpool before moving to A.S. Roma in 2008.

During Liverpool's victory in the UEFA Champions League final of 2005, it was Riise that provided the cross for Gerrard's goal—a goal that would act as the catalyst to that most famous of comebacks in recent football history.

Riise's 348 games for Liverpool puts him in the top 50 in terms of all-time appearances.

John Arne Riise is currently contracted to Fulham FC.

Jamie Carragher

Position: Centre-back/Full-back
Nationality: English
At Liverpool: 1996—2013
Games played for Liverpool: 737

With 737 appearances for Liverpool, only Ian Callaghan has played for the club on more occasions than Jamie Carragher.

Carragher made his professional debut in 1996, but it wasn't until his second season that he would become a regular in the first team. Since then, Carragher has been an ever-present presence in a defence that has changed often around him. 

Like a number of players on this list, Carragher immortalised himself during the UEFA Champions League final of 2005—a typically gutsy display helping to keep AC Milan at bay throughout injury time.

Jamie Carragher has retired from professional football. The very model of loyalty, he only ever played for Liverpool.

Sami Hyypia

Position: Centre-back
Nationality: Finnish
At Liverpool: 1999—2009
Games played for Liverpool: 464

One of the finest central defenders in Liverpool history and the best of the Gerrard-era, Sami Hyypia commanded the back line for 10 years.

Signed from Eredivisie side Willem II in 1999, Hyypia was virtually unknown in England before his arrival at Anfield. However, it didn't take long for the Finnish enforcer to cement his place in the team.

While at Anfield, Hyypia won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup twice, along with the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League. 

Sami Hyypia is currently the manager of Bayer Leverkusen.

Steve Finnan

Position: Full-back
Nationality: Irish
At Liverpool: 2003—2008
Games played for Liverpool: 217

Often the forgotten man of Rafa Benitez's reign at Anfield, Steve Finnan started the UEFA Champions League finals of 2005 and 2007.

His 217 appearances for Liverpool makes the Irishman one of the 100 most capped players in the club's history. In that time, Finnan scored just a single goal for Liverpool but it was his ability to provide width and crosses that made him a key part of the team when in possession.

Steve Finnan finished his career with Portsmouth, retiring in 2010.

Xabi Alonso

Position: Midfield
Nationality: Spanish
At Liverpool: 2004—2009
Games played for Liverpool: 210

A player blessed with world-class passing, an uncanny ability to read the game and excellent teamwork skills, Xabi Alonso has proved to be the finest midfield partner Steven Gerrard has ever had.

A tireless worker, Alonso was equally skilled in cutting open a defence as he was at defending—the kind of "box-to-box" midfielder that is so important in the majority of modern formations.

Because he is still one of the best central midfielders in the world today, Liverpool fans were left understandably worried when he was sold to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2009 for a fee thought to be around £30 million.  

Xabi Alonso currently plays for Real Madrid.

Steven Gerrard

Position: Midfield
Nationality: English
At Liverpool: 1998—Present
Games played for Liverpool: 641 (at time of publishing)

The best player of the Steven Gerrard-era is, of course, Steven Gerrard.

Through UEFA Champions League victories, squad rebuilding, numerous managers and new owners, Steven Gerrard has been a stabilising force and the figurehead of the club.

An iconic figure for Liverpool FC, and world football as a whole, Gerrard has cemented his position as one of the greatest players ever to don the red jersey. 

Gerrard currently sits seventh in terms of all-time Liverpool appearances and number of goals scored.

This season he joined the elite club of players with 100 or more Premier League goals.

At 33 years of age, Gerrard has managed to successfully adapt his game to suit his reducing speed and stamina levels. As a result the Liverpool captain remains a key player and leader at the club. 

Barring injury, Gerrard will captain England at World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Luis Garcia

Position: Midfield
Nationality: Spanish
At Liverpool: 2004—2007
Games played for Liverpool: 121

While Luis Garcia did not stay at Liverpool for as long as the other players on this list, his impact is no less important.

In his first season, Garcia played a major role in getting Liverpool to the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, scoring winning goals against Juventus and Chelsea in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

Although, of course, the "Ghost Goal" against Chelsea was shown to have never actually crossed the line.

Injury and a desire to return to his native Spain cut the rest of Luis Garcia's Liverpool career short, but his contributions to the most successful period of the club's history for over 20 years will not be forgotten.

Luis Garcia is currently playing in Mexico for Club Universidad Nacional (UNAM).

Dirk Kuyt

Position: Midfield
Nationality: Dutch
At Liverpool: 2006—2012
Games played for Liverpool: 285

Dirk Kuyt arrived from Feyenoord as a striker with a reputation as a goal machine. In 101 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch club, Kuyt bagged himself 71 goals.

With Liverpool, however, Kuyt was transformed and would go on to predominantly play on the right wing.  

A large part of Kuyt's effectiveness in midfield came from his incredible level of fitness. At the final whistle Kuyt would rarely seem any more fatigued than he was in the first minute. 

His dedication to playing on the wing, having been so effective as a striker in Holland, stands as testament to Kuyt's professionalism and desire to do what is best for the team. 

Often overlooked and often disregarded by opposing fans, Kuyt is one of the finest players to have graced Anfield since the turn of the century.

Dirk Kuyt left Liverpool in 2012 and is currently playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Luis Suarez

Position: Forward
Nationality: Uruguayan
At Liverpool: 2011—Present
Games played for Liverpool: 101 (at time of publishing)

Brought in to replace the outgoing Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez has wasted no time in his attempt to overhaul the record books.

With 57 goals in 101 games, Suarez has a goals-per-game ratio of 0.56. 

To put that into perspective, Michael Owen managed 0.53, Robbie Fowler 0.49 and Ian Rush 0.52.

Furthermore, since Suarez's arrival on Merseyside, no Premier League player has scored more than the four hat-tricks the Uruguayan has achieved.

If Liverpool can retain his services for the forseeable future, Suarez will surely figure prominently in any success the club achieves.

Less biting would be nice, though.

Fernando Torres

Position: Forward
Nationality: Spanish
At Liverpool: 2007—2011
Games played for Liverpool: 142

Suarez's strike ratio of 0.56 goals per game is impressive, but Fernando Torres manages to do slightly better. With 81 goals in 142 appearances, Spain's greatest export of the time notched up a ratio of 0.57.

Torres made an immediate impact at Anfield after signing from Atletico Madrid in 2007, becoming the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler to score 20 or more goals in a single season.

During the summer of 2011, Torres signed for rivals Chelsea in a transfer worth £50 million—a move that did little to endear him further to The Kop.

However, it was thought in some circles that the striker's best days were already behind him.

Fernando Torres is currently playing for Chelsea.

The Subs Bench

Goalkeeper: Jerzy Dudek

Defenders: Markus Babbel, Daniel Agger 

Midfielders: Dietmar Hamann, Javier Mascherano

Forwards: Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler

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