The 5 Best pure finishers in Liverpool history
As you look back at the pantheon of Liverpool greats over the years, you could be forgiven for feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of legends that have donned the famous Red shirt over the years.
Taking a closer examination, there have been numerous outstanding finishers over the years as Liverpool have been blessed with countless world class goal scorers.
In today's exercise, we are going to try and sift through the sheer talent and rank the five best pure finishers in Liverpool's history. This could be a player from any position, as long as they could bag goals for fun. Let's get into it.
5. Diogo Jota
This one might come as a surprise as Jota has largely been a super sub during his Liverpool career to this point. However, there is no denying that when he steps on the pitch, he is a darn good bet to score a goal.
Jota ha the ability to score goals with both feet and his head. He has an innate knack for popping up in the right spot to give himself a prime scoring opportunity. He might not score a lot of "golazo's", but his well-rounded skillset makes him a threat from anywhere in the box.
If he were given 32 or more starts in a season, there is a case to be made that he could push for 25-30 goals pretty comfortably. He's not flashy, but the man finds the back of the net.
4. Luis Suarez
"El Pistolero" was one of he most exciting players to have ever played for Liverpool. He played at a time where the club was still climbing back to it's high standards, but even in a subpar side, Suarez was must-see TV.
He scored goals of all variety from distance, close, tight angles, volleys, with his head, both feet and more. If the ball was in his possession he was a danger to hit the goal.
His close control was out of this world and he truly believed he could score from anywhere on the pitch, and he usually did!
3. Robbie Fowler
The man known as "God" around these parts was a goal scoring machine in the 1990's for Liverpool. He formed a lethal partnership with Ian Rush before later forming a dynamic duo with another name to come on this list.
At the peak of his powers, Fowler was scoring goals for fun in a Liverpool side that was transitioning from dominance towards a new era.
He had a technical ability that few possesed during his time and he was able to utilize this to his advantage to create elite scoring chances for himself. Liverpool relied on him to be the main source of goals during his prime years and he responded in kind. He is 7th all-time on the Reds scoring chart.
2. Michael Owen
If this was a list based on longevity, that would damning for Owen. However, when you look at players that were adept at putting the ball in the back of the net while playing for Liverpool, few could match Owen at his height for Liverpool.
His blistering pace allowed him to erase defenders and allowed him to create a plethora of chances every time he was on the field.
He would normally take those chances with supreme confidence as well. He won a Ballon d'Or in 2001 after yet another prolific season. This was a man that bagged Golden Boot's like they were collectibles. Regardless of how he left the club, when he was at his peak, few could match his finishing ability.
1. Fernando Torres
The top spot goes to another player that was not with Liverpool for long, but while he was here he was at the height his powers.
Torres was a brilliant player with Ateltico Madrid, but he found a new level at Anfield. His connection with Steven Gerrard was something to behold. Torres combined scintillating pace with a lethal right foot that allowed him to take the Premier League by storm.
His 2007-08 season is still one of the best in recent club history as he bagged 33 goals in all comps. He would parlay that into more success with the Spanish national team.
He was a pure goal scorer as he was not asked to do much else. Put him in a dangerous spot and he was lethal with the ball. He just edges Owen for the top spot on this list.
Honorable Mentions: Daniel Sturridge, Ian Rush, Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Mohamed Salah