Remembering the Liverpool Players Who Wore the Famous No. 8 Shirt in the Premier League
Liverpool have a new No. 8 after the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai, but can you remember the other Reds who wore the famous shirt number in the Premier League? After five years in the hands of another player, the No. 8 has changed allegiances once more at Anfield after Szoboszlai arrived in a £60 million deal.
The Hungarian follows in the footsteps of one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players, living out a dream that many wished they could. In total, Liverpool have had six players don the No. 8 shirt in the Premier League, with Szoboszlai to follow in their footsteps. With designated numbers only widely introduced in the English top flight in the 1993/94 season, this list is limited to those who have worn the number permanently in the years since.
#1: Steven Gerrard
The most iconic of all Liverpool No. 8s is undoubtedly Steven Gerrard. The legendary midfielder wore the shirt from 1998 to 2015, making 710 appearances for the Reds and scoring 186 goals. He was a key part of the team that won the Champions League in 2005 and was also named Footballer of the Year in 2009.
#2: Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso was another great player to wear the No. 8 shirt for Liverpool. He joined from Real Sociedad in 2004 and went on to make 210 appearances for the Reds, scoring 19 goals. He was part of the team that won the Champions League in 2005 and also won two FA Cups during his time at Anfield.
#3: Javier Mascherano
Javier Mascherano joined Liverpool from West Ham United in 2007 and went on to make 139 appearances for the Reds, scoring one goal. He was a key part of the team that reached the Champions League final in 2007 and also won an FA Cup during his time at Anfield.
#4: Joe Allen
Joe Allen joined Liverpool from Swansea City in 2012 and went on to make 132 appearances for the Reds, scoring three goals. He was part of the team that reached the Europa League final in 2016 and also won an FA Cup during his time at Anfield.
#5: James Milner
James Milner joined Liverpool from Manchester City in 2015 and went on to make 166 appearances for the Reds, scoring 22 goals. He was part of the team that reached the Champions League final in 2018 and also won a League Cup during his time at Anfield.
#6: Naby Keita
Naby Keita joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2018 and went on to make 56 appearances for the Reds, scoring three goals. He was part of the team that won the Champions League in 2019 and also won a Super Cup during his time at Anfield.
Now, with Dominik Szoboszlai joining Liverpool as their new No. 8, it will be interesting to see how he fares in comparison to his predecessors. The Hungarian midfielder has already shown glimpses of his potential at Red Bull Salzburg and will be hoping to make an impact at Anfield as he looks to write his own piece of history at Liverpool.