Who is really Liverpool’s most underrated player of the Premier League era?
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Maybe he was ultimately giveN the credit he deserves at Liverpool, but in Klopp’s all-conquering 2018-2022 team, he was never the biggest attraction.Neither was Joel Matip, who took a little while to get going after joining on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016. With the Dutchman very much the main man in Liverpool’s defence, the consistency and quality of his centre-back partner was often overlooked.
Injuries played their part in reducing Matip’s overall impact, but given his quiet personality and his status as Liverpool’s second centre-back, he is a strong candidate as an underrated star.The lightning rods: Jordan Henderson and James MilnerSome players are underrated simply because they prioritize grit over finesse. After facing intense scrutiny early on in his Liverpool career, the captain was pigeon-holed as a workhorse midfielder with a lack of technical quality.He may have lacked the Hollywood passing range of his predecessor, Gerrard, but Henderson provided the leadership and intensity which underpinned Klopp’s Liverpool.
The forgotten pioneers: Jamie Carragher and Danny MurphyIt is easy to filter the entirety of Liverpool’s Premier League era through the lens of Klopp’s relatively recent silverware, but the Reds’ history of underappreciation stretches back much further.Jamie Carragher is known by younger generations as a charismatic pundit, and his at times controversial takes have led to him being dismissed by rival fans as a player who was never quite good enough as a top-tier Premier League defender. Overshadowed by the emergence of Gerrard, Murphy was a clutch utility player who had a nice habit of scoring decisive winners against Manchester United at Old Trafford.Another who has turned his hand to punditry, Murphy was a better and more decisive player than the current perception of him would have you believe.The verdict: Who wins the crown?While a strong case can be made for Firmino’s tactical sacrifice, Henderson’s leadership, Carragher’s longevity and Wijnaldum’s cruciality, the definitive crown of Liverpool’s most underappreciated Premier League star belongs to Joel Matip.In an era where modern recruitment demands premium fees, Matip represents arguably the greatest free transfer in Premier League history, certainly in Liverpool’s.He wasn’t just Van Dijk’s underling, he was a world-class operator in his own right.