RWB: Jamie Carragher (383 apps)
No one has played more times alongside our leader than Jamie Carragher. The defender-turned-pundit sits one place above Gerrard in the list for our club’s all-time appearance makers, with Ian Callaghan the only man ahead of him. Carragher made his Liverpool debut nearly two years before Gerrard, and the two remained key components of the side right until the centre-back’s retirement in 2013.
LWB: John Arne Riise (199 apps)
His trademark free-kicks and inch-perfect crosses made John Arne Riise one of the most exciting players to have played for the club since the start of the Premier League. It was one of those crosses that kick-started our comeback in the Champions League final a decade ago, as his ball landed perfectly on the head of none other than Steven Gerrard, who glanced it into the top corner and gave us the belief that the impossible could be achieved.
CM: Didi Hamann (157 apps)
The German formed a formidable partnership in the middle of the park with Gerrard. His performance in Istanbul – where he had a broken foot – allowed the skipper to lead the fightback. Hamann also bagged the first penalty for us in the shootout, as he would also do 12 months later when the FA Cup final ended in a draw after extra time.
CM: Lucas Leiva (147 apps)
Lucas is the second of this team to still be plying their trade at Anfield. The Brazilian’s tough-tackling approach allowed Gerrard to exert his influence further up the pitch, safe in the knowledge that his teammate was around to sweep up anything that headed back towards our goal.