Ranking the top-5 players Liverpool re-signed

#3 Alan Hansen

Alan Hansen was a player ahead of his time

Liverpool have had no shortage of fine attackers. Alan Hansen is arguably the only defender who can give the club’s attacker-favoring history some much-needed balance. Hansen is currently hailed as one of the club's best centre-half players. However, he was one of the rejected youngsters when he came to audition for the Liverpool academy when he was 15 years old.

Hansen did not let the rejection get to him, of course, as he saw it as an opportunity to improve his game. He first played for Scottish side Partick Thistle, showing the world his intelligence, astute sense of positioning and versatility. Liverpool finally recognized his skillset and signed him up for £100,000 in 1977.

6️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ Reds appearances 🔴1️⃣7️⃣ honours to his name 🏆Happy birthday to Alan Hansen! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/HJA20IFALM

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 13, 2021

Not only did Hansen prove to be an excellent addition to the team, but he was also the leader Liverpool needed at the time. Over the next 13 seasons, Hansen served as an exemplary leader, delivering impressive performances day in and day out. He retired at Liverpool in 1991, having won eight Premier Leagues and three European Cups amongst other honors.

#2 Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish was a Liverpool legend on and off the pitch

Liverpool’s legacy cannot be defined without dedicating a sizable chapter to the great Sir Kenny Dalglish. Funnily enough, Dalglish, too, was once rejected by Liverpool. It happened back when he was only 15 years old, which led to his legendary spell with Celtic.

Dalglish spent nine years at Celtic between 1968 and 1977, honing his skills in the Scottish first division. As a forward, Dalglish was sharp and intuitive. He knew how to look for space and convert half chances. Having won nine major honours with Celtic, he joined Liverpool in 1977.

Over the next 13 years, he rewrote the record book at Liverpool and became a messiah for the club. He won six league titles and three European cups amongst other major honors and later went on to become one of the club's best managers.

#1 Ian Rush

Ian Rush is the club's leading goal scorer

Liverpool forward Ian Rush is the only player on this list who has enjoyed two prolific spells at Anfield. The lanky forward was signed from Chester City in 1980, with Liverpool paying a record £300,000 fee for a teenager at the time. Rush was standing in for Kenny Dalglish at the time and spent most of his time with the reserve team. Eventually he shone through and Liverpool made him a first-team regular.

352. Ian RUSH18.10.1992Manchester United 0-2 LIVERPOOL (44 mins)Ronny Rosenthal plays a one-two with Don Hutchison, advancing into the penalty area with the return. His cut back from the byline finds Ian Rush who's shot is too powerful for Peter Schmeichel to keep out. pic.twitter.com/4Zbr0nCpMv

— Premier League Players (@premlgeplayers) August 31, 2021

Having won plenty of silverware in his first spell, Rush moved to Juventus in 1986. However, the allure of Liverpool was too much for him to resist and he returned to Anfield permanently in 1988. He shattered more records, created new ones, and cemented his place as Liverpool’s greatest scorer by the time he left Liverpool in 1996.

Rush, who is the current top scorer of Liverpool, scored 346 goals across all competitions and won 19 major honours. His haul included five league titles, three FA Cups, and two European Cups amongst others.