Assigning FIFA Card Ratings to 21st Century Liverpool Legends

The wait is nearly over—FIFA 18 is almost upon us.

Complete with a new cover star in Cristiano Ronaldo, a second season with Alex Hunter in The Journey and the introduction of FUT Icons, EA Sports' latest version of its football video game has plenty to keep players occupied.

Ahead of the worldwide release date of September 29 (albeit you can have it three days earlier, provided you're willing to pony up some extra dough), Bleacher Report is getting a little excited about the hours of fun/pad-throwing-in-a-fit-of-FIFA-rage that lie ahead.

When it comes to Liverpool, there are plenty of reasons to get excited.

Pace is often a key asset in the game, so Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah should prove popular, particularly in Ultimate Team. Philippe Coutinho's dribbling and skill moves—not to mention his ability to shoot from distance—make him an asset in the FIFA universe, too.

The best thing about being the Reds, however, is having the ability to sort out that dodgy defence, something manager Jurgen Klopp is still striving to do in real life.

But what about some of the players who are no longer at Anfield? We've picked out four leading names from the 21st century and assigned them ratings as if they were to be included in FIFA 18 as FUT Icons.

Those who appeared as one of FIFA 17's Legends were not considered, seeing as they have been done already. That rules out ex-players Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen (who appears on FIFA 18 as an Icon).

Sadly, John Barnes, Steve McManaman and Ian Rush had left by the end of 1999. All three would have been fantastic to use on FIFA games in their prime years.

Sami Hyypia (FIFA Rating: 87)

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How Liverpool could do with Sami Hyypia these days. Relatively unknown when Gerard Houllier paid £2.6 million to bring him in from Dutch club Willem II, the defender turned out to be a bargain buy.

The Finn spent a decade on Merseyside. He was part of Houllier's treble-winning squad in the 2000/01 season, forming a rock-solid centre-back pairing with Stephane Henchoz as the team lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. He partnered Carragher for the Miracle of Istanbul in 2005.

While phased out of the first XI during his final few years at the club, Hyypia remained a reliable squad member until a tearful farewell in 2009.

FIFA Card Rating

Pace	55	Dribbling	51
Shooting	50	Defending	88
Passing	77	Physical	94

So here's where FIFA 17 comes in handy. Carragher was on the Xbox version as one of the game's Legends, so we can use his numbers as a measuring stick to come up with figures for Hyypia.

Carra's pace seemed a little generous, but his longtime defensive partner wasn't known for his speed. "I'm not surprised when people question my pace, but it doesn't bother me at all," Hyypia told David Prentice of the Liverpool Echo in 2007.

Why he flourished for so long, though, was his speed of mind. He read the game wonderfully. To that extent, he was also good in possession; therefore, he deserves his passing to be on the high side.

Defensively, he's level with his old team-mate. Physically, his attribute deserves to be higher; he was stronger and taller, making him an ideal candidate to win headers at both ends of the field on FIFA 18.

John Arne Riise (FIFA Rating: 84)

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John Arne Riise came close to joining former AS Monaco boss Jean Tigana at Fulham, only for Liverpool to step in and bag the Norwegian in the summer of 2001.

While sometimes used in midfield, former manager Rafa Benitez moulded Riise into an effective left-back. Defensively, he had holes, but his attacking instincts made him a valuable outlet on the wing.

His time as a Red included lifting the Champions League in 2005. Although he was the only Liverpool player to miss a penalty in the shootout success in the final against AC Milan, Riise had a happy knack of finding the net. In total, he managed 31 goals in 348 appearances for the club.

FIFA Card Rating

Pace	88	Dribbling	80
Shooting	85	Defending	66
Passing	78	Physical	80

Riise had two attributes in his prime that would make him brilliant to use on FIFA; he was quick and, to borrow a line from Alan Partridge, had a left foot like a traction engine.

His pace would help mask his defensive deficiencies, both in real life and in the gaming world. Clean sheets are not high on the list of FIFA players' priorities. Instead, you want a full-back who can charge up and down the touchline and pose a problem to the opposition going forward.

But let's not kid ourselves—using Riise would be all about long shots.

Just imagine having the opportunity to line one up from distance and let fly. Perhaps 85 might seem a little high in that category considering the great Roberto Carlos was ranked at 81 in FIFA 17.

Xabi Alonso (FIFA Rating: 88)

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Now retired, Xabi Alonso is fondly remembered by supporters of three of the biggest clubs in the world: Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Many imports find the Premier League tough going, yet the Spaniard had few problems settling in at the age of 22. He coped with the physical side and added control to Liverpool's engine room with his pinpoint passing.

Benitez worked wonders to get such a wonderful player from Real Sociedad, but his managerial reign on Merseyside was tarnished slightly by his pursuit of Gareth Barry that resulted in Alonso's departure in 2009.

"It was clear Alonso was royalty after our first training session together in August 2004, and Rafa Benitez, who had been so clever to buy him in the first place, was equally stupid to sell him to Real Madrid five years later," former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard wrote in his autobiography, My Story (h/t the Daily Mail). "He was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside."

FIFA Card Rating

Pace	68	Dribbling	66
Shooting	81	Defending	65
Passing	92	Physical	55

Alonso only hung up his boots this summer. Understandably, considering he was 34 at the start of the 2016/17 season, his physical numbers were low in his final FIFA incarnation as a CDM, relayed by SoFIFA.

In truth, even in his prime, the midfielder wasn't your ideal candidate to use on the game. His standout attribute—passing—would be useful, but he lacked the physical traits of others in his position.

That doesn't mean to say he wouldn't be good to use as a FUT Icon.

An all-rounder with great technical ability and an eye for a spectacular goal, Alonso could be ideal next to the right team-mate in your midfield. A reunion with Gerrard would be fun. Speaking of which...

Steven Gerrard (FIFA Rating: 92)

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A talismanic figure who dragged Liverpool out of trouble on plenty of occasions, Gerrard has a strong case to be considered the greatest Liverpool player of not just the Premier League era but all time.

Under Houllier, he burst onto the scene as a teenager, as his versatility quickly made him a first-team squad member. By the time Benitez took charge in 2004, Gerrard was the main man. He scored spectacular goals, never shirked a tackle and was always ready to put the team on his back.

Liverpool fans don't get to sing about being champions of Europe five times without Gerrard's goal against Olympiakos in a crucial group-stage game. They don't lift the FA Cup in 2006 in Cardiff if their captain doesn't come up with something spectacular in the dying embers of normal time against West Ham United.

The biggest disappointment with Gerrard? He played through an era when the club fell off its lofty perch.

FIFA Card Rating

Pace	82	Dribbling	80
Shooting	86	Defending	78
Passing	90	Physical	86

These six simple categories don't give the full picture of why a peak Gerrard would rate so highly. If you take into account Patrick Vieira's top FUT ICON card has him at 91, Stevie G deserves to be up at that number.

Per SoFIFA, his final FIFA card still had him ranked highly for crossing, passing and shooting. While the physical side dipped towards the end, the technical skills remained right through to his retirement in 2016.

During his best years, the Liverpudlian did it all. Even 78 for his defending feels a little low considering how hard he worked for the team's cause.

"I have said in the past that at his peak he was the best in the world," Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said in 2015, per Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo. As praise goes, it doesn't get much higher than an endorsement from one of the greatest to have played the game.