Liverpool's official countdown of the club's 100 greatest players is underway, with Phil Thompson revealed as number 21.

Earlier this year, Liverpool Football Club invited fans, former players, journalists, and a club panel to vote and determine the final ranking of the "100 greatest players in Liverpool's history" up to 2026.

Selection criteria were based on players' individual skills, their influence, their historical significance, and their achievements during their time at Liverpool.

This countdown, revealed in reverse order, will culminate in a special live broadcast in early July, when the top five will be revealed and the winner of the "Greatest Player in Liverpool's History" title will be announced.

100 Greatest Players in Liverpool's History:

No. 100 – No. 91: Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Luis Garcia, Jack Cox, Bobby Robinson, Lallana, Lucas Leiva, Curtis Jones, Dick Forshaw, Danny Murphy

No. 90 – No. 81: David Johnson, Jack Parkinson, Sam Raybould, Coutinho, Dudek, Phil Taylor, Gerry Byrne, Smicer, Steve Heighway, Dirk Kuyt

No. 80 – No. 71: Ray Houghton, Daniel Sturridge, Tommy Lawrence, Ronnie Moran, Luis Díaz, Alan A'Court, Dietmar Hamann, Tom Bromilow, Joel Matip, Emile Heskey

No. 70 – No. 61: Stabbins, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, John Fairclough, Joe Gomez, John Aldridge, Claudio Reyna, Arne Riise, Peter Thompson, Johnston

No. 60 – No. 51: Longworth, Sammy Lee, Bob Paisley, Diogo Jota, Jamie Redknapp, Divock Origi, Xabi Alonso, Peter Beardsley, McKinlay, Balmer

No. 50 – No. 41: John Toshack, Jimmy Case, James Milner, Alex Raisbeck, Steve McMahon, Chris Lawler, Fernando Torres, Jan Mølby, Bruce Grobbelaar, Steve Nicol

No. 40 – No. 31: Harry Chambers, Alan Kennedy, Steve McManaman, Tommy Smith, Ray Kennedy, Mark Lawrenson, Terry McDermott, Ronnie Whelan, Elisha Scott, Gordon Hodgson

No. 30 – No. 21: Steve Heighway, Sami Hyypiä, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ron Yates, Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Roberto Firmino

100 Greatest Players in Liverpool's History – No. 21: Phil Thompson

Active years: 1972–1983

Appearances: 477

Goals: 13

Honors: First Division Champion (1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83), UEFA Cup winner (1973, 1976), FA Cup winner (1974), European Cup winner (1977, 1978, 1981), UEFA Super Cup winner (1977), League Cup winner (1981, 1982)

A true Liverpudlian, Phil Thompson won nearly every honor imaginable with the club he supported from childhood, never forgetting his roots.

The elegant defender captained the Reds to European Cup glory in 1981 and celebrated by taking the famous trophy back to his local pub, The Falcon, in Kirkby.

Thompson, who played for the club for over a decade, is rightly considered one of the greatest players in its history.

Bob Paisley once said: "I think Phil was one of the finest examples of a professional footballer. His greatest strength as a player was his ability to read the game, something he demonstrated even as a teenager."

"His physical attributes weren't the most outstanding for a defensive position, but his football intelligence was exceptional."

In April 1972, under Bill Shankly's watchful eye, 18-year-old Thompson made his first-team debut against Manchester United as a midfielder.

He later moved to defence, forming central defensive partnerships with Emlyn Hughes and then Alan Hansen, becoming a cornerstone of that dominant team.

He delivered an outstanding performance in the 1974 FA Cup final, which Liverpool won 3–0 against Newcastle United at Wembley, securing the club's second FA Cup.

Thompson missed just one match during the title-winning campaign of 1975–76 and scored in the UEFA Cup semi-final against Barcelona, helping the team lift the UEFA Cup that season.

He missed the second half of the 1977 European Cup-winning campaign due to injury but returned to the starting lineup a year later to help the team successfully defend the title.

During the 1978–79 title-winning campaign, he was part of a record defence that conceded only 16 goals in 42 league matches that season.

During this period, he also helped shape Liverpool's iconic style of play: building attacks from the back and dominating matches through possession.

He recalled: "We constantly investigated and passed. Back then, we played for the joy of possession, always with the aim of keeping hold of the ball."

"This philosophy shaped Liverpool's style. We won many trophies, and our opponents often couldn't get the ball for long periods."

In April 1979, he was named captain. In the years that followed, he continued to collect honors, including Liverpool's first League Cup in 1981.

A month later that same year, Liverpool defeated Real Madrid in Paris in the European Cup final, with Thompson further cementing his legendary status at Anfield by lifting the "Orejonas" trophy.

He was only the second Liverpool captain to lift that trophy, and one of just five to have done so to date.

Thompson went on to win two more First Division titles before joining Sheffield United in 1984, ending his playing career at Liverpool.

Traducido por IA.

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