Curtis Jones Breaks Champions League Passing Record… But Who is the Best Passer in Liverpool’s History?

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Red Football Boots and SocksWith absolutely no disrespect intended, if you were told that a Liverpool player had broken the Champions League record for best pass success rate, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that Curtis Jones was the man to do so.

But it’s true: the homegrown talent bested the previous milestone for completed passes in the Reds’ 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Jones successfully completed 122 of his 127 attempted passes – the highest rate ever recorded by a Liverpool player in a Champions League tie.

The record helps to explain why the midfielder has been so highly cherished by both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot, and despite being in and out of the starting eleven, Jones remains a pivotal figure in this Liverpool squad.

But he isn’t, most would agree, the finest passer that the Reds have ever had. Debate as to who is will, of course, rage on, but for our money here’s the five best passers of the ball – in no particular order – in Liverpool’s history.

Steven Gerrard

Only Kenny Dalglish has provided more Liverpool assists than Steven Gerrard.

While Dalglish was known for his intelligent movement and incredible crossing ability, the vast majority of Gerrard’s assists came from passes – be it throughballs, clips through the defence or raking long-range deliveries.

There are Liverpool players that were perhaps blessed with more technical ability, but Gerrard’s sheer determination and ability to put the ball in the right place for the myriad attacking players that he played with ensure his addition to this list.

But don’t just take our word for it. No less a judge than Lionel Messi described Stevie G as ‘England’s greatest-ever player’, while Zinedine Zidane labelled Liverpool’s number eight as the ‘best in the world’ and is said to have demanded that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez sign Gerrard to partner him in midfield for the Galacticos.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

At the time of writing, Trent Alexander-Arnold sits ninth on Liverpool’s list of all-time assist providers.

That’s despite the fact that a) he played 354 times for the Reds, which is significantly fewer games than those above him in the standings, and b) he was mostly deployed as a right back.

It was Trent’s incredible passing range that convinced Jurgen Klopp to try him as an inverted full back, who was given the freedom to roam centrally and act almost as a deep-lying playmaker.

Whether it was his metronomic short passing, which was a key feature in Liverpool’s possession-based style under Klopp and Slot, or his ability to ping 50-yard cross-field balls to the likes of Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz, TAA has to go down as one of the best passers in the club’s history – irrespective of any accusations of ‘recency bias’.

Steven Gerrard described Alexander-Arnold as ‘one of the best passers I’ve ever seen’… and he certainly knew a thing or two about the art.

Jan Molby

With all due respect intended, a player of Jan Molby’s size and relative lack of athleticism should never have made it as a top-flight footballer.

But the Dane had a handful of attributes that made him such a pivotal figure for Liverpool in the 1980s and nineties: tremendous technical ability and a keen eye for a pass.

Comfortable in central midfield or in defence, Molby made more than 200 appearances for Liverpool, winning three First Division titles and a pair of FA Cups.

There are YouTube video montages dedicated to Molby’s passing range – a thoroughly modern, but still worthy, accolade for the great Dane.

Virgil van Dijk

Nobody completed more passes than Virgil van Dijk during the 2024/25 Premier League season.

It’s somewhat easier for centre backs – they typically shuffle passes back to the goalkeeper, wide to the full back or into deep-lying midfielders. But football has changed in recent years, with high lines and aggressive pressing putting more pressure on central defenders to be comfortable in passing while under duress.

Van Dijk has long been a Rolls Royce of a defender, and while serious injuries have taken away some of his explosive physicality, his technical ability remains in situ.

Capable of accurate diagonals or quick line-breaking passes into advanced positions, Van Dijk is one of the best passing defenders that Liverpool have ever had.

Xabi Alonso

Because he went about his business quietly in the holding midfield role, Xabi Alonso didn’t always get the credit he deserved as a player.

But his ability to dictate play was invaluable to the Reds, helping the club to the Champions League trophy in 2005/06.

Alonso’s CV also includes another Champions League triumph, domestic title wins in Spain and Germany, as well as the 2010 World Cup with Spain, so his influence is clear to see.

Mesut Ozil said of Alonso: “I’ve never seen another player with his ability to play such fantastic passes,” while Gerrard reported that the Spaniard was ‘by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside.’

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