Liverpool's greatest XI of all time using different nationalities: Does Mohamed Salah make the cut after exit announcement?

Liverpool are the most successful club in the history of English football and one of the biggest teams in the world, thanks in part to the number of stars from around the globe that have donned the famous red jersey over the years.

In decades past, the likes of Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush led the way as the Merseysiders established themselves as a major force in the sport, while younger generations have grown up with more modern icons such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

The latter in particular has become one of the best Premier League stars of all time, breaking record after record on his way to becoming the player with the most goal contributions for one club in the history of the division.

However, Salah has agreed to leave the Reds at the close of the season, bringing his 9-year stint at Anfield to an end.

After news of the 33-year-old's exit broke, Sports Mole has a crack at producing Liverpool's greatest-ever XI using only one player from each country. Take a look at this all-time XI with a difference.

Goalkeeper: Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe)

Having a legendary player from an uncommon footballing country like Zimbabwe is a godsend for this XI.

Ray Clemence is Liverpool's greatest-ever keeper, but the English quota is best used elsewhere and so Bruce Grobbelaar gets the gloves. As brilliant as he was eccentric, Grobbelaar made 628 appearances for Liverpool in total, helping the club to six top-flight titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and the 1984 European Cup.

His antics in the final of the penalty shootout of the latter went down in history, and those 'spaghetti legs' were emulated 21 years later by Jerzy Dudek in Poland.

Incumbent keeper Alisson Becker deserves a mention - particularly with no Brazilians in the XI - but despite being one of the best in the world, he is yet to match Grobbelaar's legacy at Anfield.

Right-back: Steve Finnan (Ireland)

The vast majority of Liverpool's greatest-ever right-backs suffer from being the same nationality as even better players elsewhere in this team - Phil Neal being the most obvious example as the best to have ever played in this position for the club.

In the end, this one came down to a choice between two players - Steve Finnan and Markus Babbel.

There is little doubt that Babbel was the better player overall, but Finnan made 217 Liverpool appearances compared to only 73 for Babbel, while the Irishman was also part of that unforgettable night in Istanbul.

Babbel played his part in helping Liverpool to five trophies in 2001 and certainly ran him close, but Finnan also added the FA Cup to his trophy collection in 2006.

Centre-backs: Sami Hyypia (Finland), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)

The English contingent of Emlyn Hughes, Tommy Smith, Jamie Carragher and Phil Thompson all miss out here, as does arguably Liverpool's greatest-ever centre-back Alan Hansen by virtue of having an even more talented Scot further up the pitch.

Nonetheless, this XI can still lay claim to a fearsome centre-back pairing of Sami Hyypia and Virgil van Dijk, the latter of whom is the first of the current crop to make the cut.

Hyypia made 464 appearances for the Reds in total, winning 10 trophies including the 2005 Champions League. Indeed, the towering Finn was part of the squad both when they won five trophies in 2001 and then again for the major trophies of Rafael Benitez's era.

Van Dijk is well on course to emulate and perhaps even surpass many of the great names already mentioned, with the Dutchman widely regarded as the best centre-back in the world and being credited as the one signing which has had the biggest impact in turning Liverpool into consistent title contenders once again.

Taking over the role of captain after Jordan Henderson's departure, the Merseysiders' number four has amassed a commendable trophy haul that includes two Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups, though many have argued that the colossus' calibre is not measurable by honours alone.

Left-back: John Arne Riise (Norway)

John Arne Riise did not take long to earn hero status at Anfield, scoring on his debut in the victorious 2001 UEFA Super Cup final and then almost breaking the goal with a thunderous free kick against bitter rivals Manchester United just months into his Liverpool career - a strike the fans still sing about to this day.

The Norwegian went on to play 348 times for the Reds across all competitions and played a key role in the Champions League success of 2005 and FA Cup glory one year later.

Other contenders included Alan Kennedy and Ronnie Moran, but once again they miss out due to a certain English midfielder.

Centre-midfielders: Steven Gerrard (England), Xabi Alonso (Spain)

With so many great English players to choose from only the best can make the cut, and Steven Gerrard can lay claim to being Liverpool's greatest ever player full stop, yet alone their number one Englishman.

The talismanic skipper made 710 appearances for the club in total - the third-highest tally in Liverpool's history - while his 186 Liverpool goals put him fifth on that all-time list.

Gerrard's trophy cabinet perhaps does not do justice to his status as one of the best players of his generation, but his heroics in the Champions League and FA Cup finals of 2005 and 2006 respectively will never be forgotten.

While Gerrard's inclusion was an easy decision - despite ruling out some legendary compatriots - the spot alongside him was more closely contested and one particularly notable absentee is Graeme Souness, who cannot be included due to the presence of an old friend in front of him.

The likes of Jan Molby, Javier Mascherano and Dietmar Hamann could all fit into the team under the parameters, but Xabi Alonso gets the nod for us alongside his former teammate.

The Spaniard scored the all-important equalising goal in Istanbul and was also a key part of the team which won the FA Cup a year later, going on to make 210 Liverpool appearances in total.

Right-wing: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

The second of Liverpool's current crop included in this XI, Salah's statistics stack up against any of the club's previous goalscoring legends.

The Egyptian king broke the single-season Premier League scoring record in his first campaign at Anfield, netting 32 times in 38 games, before going on to become the fastest Liverpool player to 50 goals and the one with the most top-flight strikes in his first 100 games for the club.

In 2024-25, Salah struck 29 goals and laid on 18 assists, making him the record holder for the most goal contributions across a Premier League season, as well as moving him up to fifth in the league's all-time top scorers list and third in Liverpool's ranking.

However, the legendary forward announced in March 2026 that he had decided to call time on his Reds career at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, a year during which he failed to hit the heights of previous terms yet remained a key part of the side.

As things stand the winger has netted 255 times and created a further 122 in 435 Liverpool games across all competitions, helping his side to Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup glory in 2019, the Premier League title in 2020, FA and League Cups in 2022, a further League Cup in 2024 and another top-flight crown in 2025.

Attacking midfielder: Sir Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)

Liverpool have been blessed with some great Scottish players down the years, but the likes of Hansen, Souness and Billy Liddell have to play second fiddle to Kenny Dalglish - arguably the only man who can challenge Gerrard for the mantle of the club's best-ever player.

Some deemed Kevin Keegan irreplaceable when he left Anfield in 1977, but Dalglish proved to be a more-than-adequate replacement and capped his debut season by scoring the winner in the European Cup final.

That was the first major trophy Dalglish got his hands on with Liverpool, but it certainly was not the last - he went on to win two more European Cups, six top-flight titles, the FA Cup and four League Cups as a player, as well as another two league titles as manager.

In all, the iconic number 7 made 502 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 169 goals.

Left-wing: Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

Despite spending the majority of his career playing as a central striker, Luis Suarez was capable when coming off the left flank, and though Sadio Mane was the star in this position under Jurgen Klopp, it is hard to overlook the calibre of the Uruguayan.

Suarez was nigh-on unstoppable during an eventful three-and-a-half-year stay at Anfield and almost single-handedly dragged Liverpool to the title in 2013-14, only to fall agonisingly short in the final stretch of the season.

In the end, the number 7 was forced to settle for only a League Cup winner's medal to show for his Liverpool career, but that does not do justice to a prolific spell which saw him score 82 times in 133 games.

Centre-forward: Ian Rush (Wales)

A host of great Liverpool strikers have already been ruled out through nationality - the likes of Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres, Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Keegan included - but the club's greatest ever scorer is still eligible.

Ian Rush hit the back of the net 346 times in 660 appearances during his two Liverpool stints, helping the club to five league titles, two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups in that time.

The Welshman's partnership with Dalglish was particularly potent, while his record in Merseyside derbies against Everton - 25 goals in total and nine in one single season against the Toffees - helped to endear him to the Anfield faithful even more.