Liverpool's Top 5 Wingers Since 1990

Liverpool may not have won a league title since 1990, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lack of quality players gracing the Anfield turf week in, week out in the years that have followed.

The Reds haven't always been blessed with an abundance of wingers since the glory days of Ray Kennedy and Steve Heighway ripping defences apart, but there have still been some standout wide men over the last 25 years.

Here is our top five.....

5. Raheem Sterling

This may be a slightly contentious selection in the eyes of some, but for the short time Raheem Sterling spent in a Liverpool shirt, he was a tremendous talent.

The young Englishman burst onto the scene as a prodigious winger in 2012, at the age of just 17, and after a short wobble in form, became an integral part of the Reds side that almost won the 2013/14 Premier League.

Blessed with electrifying pace, quick feet and a tactical intelligence that is often criminally overlooked, Sterling will go on to become a fantastic player for Manchester City and England.

It's shame that things ended on such a sour note at Liverpool, but regardless of that, there can be no denying that Sterling is a footballer of immense talent.

4. Patrik Berger

Great things were expected of Patrik Berger when he moved to Merseyside in the summer of 1996. He had starred for Czech Republic at Euro 96, and his good looks and entertaining style of play saw many tipping him to become Liverpool's new poster boy. 

Although injuries stopped Berger becoming a truly top player for the Reds, he is still someone who provided many moments of brilliance during his seven years at the club.

He had magnificent shooting ability with his thunderous left foot, perfectly illustrated by his free-kick away to Manchester United in 2000, and his pace, power and final ball made him a constant threat to opposition defenders. Just look at his pass to Michael Owen in the dying minutes of the 2001 FA Cup Final.

The Czech legend wasn't an out-and-out winger, like a number of players on this list in fact, and he could cause havoc both centrally and out wide.

3. Luis Garcia

One of the most popular Liverpool players of the last decade or so, Luis Garcia will forever go down in Reds folklore for his exploits in the club's Champions League-winning 2004/05 campaign.

The diminutive Spaniard could frustrate and thrill in equal measure, but those moments of trying too much on the ball were well worth enduring because of his ability to produce at the biggest moments.

Whether it be the three goals over two legs against Bayer Leverkusen, the sensational strike against Juventus or the winning strike against Chelsea in the semi-final, Garcia proved to be arguably his side's most influential player in the lead-up to the final.

It wasn't just one season that the former Spain international showcased his class, however, and his 30 in goals in 121 Liverpool appearances is an impressive return.

He is still sung about by the fans to this day, which speaks volumes.

In a lot of ways, Steve McManaman is a player who has become very underrated as time has gone by. He was a fabulous winger in his prime, and a player who was almost impossible to defend against when in full flow.

The Englishman won the 1995 League Cup Final all on his own, and barring his great friend Robbie Fowler, was the most important player at Anfield during the mid 1990s. There were mazy dribbles and memorable goals in abundance, most notably a stunning last-gasp equaliser away to Celtic in the UEFA Cup in 1997.

McManaman left to join Real Madrid in 1999, which may be why some choose not to include him in various list articles such as these, but he gave the Reds seven years of great service.

In terms of talent, he's up there with the best English players of his generation. 

John Barnes is not only Liverpool's finest winger of the last 25 years, but also the best in Liverpool's great history. In fact, there are probably only three or four better players to have ever represented the Reds.

By 1990, Barnes was a truly world-class winger- he had been ever since his move to Anfield in 1987- with very few players in world football more destructive and influential.

He could beat players with ease, whether it be through brute strength, blistering speed or brilliant feet, and he chipped in with endless amounts of eye-catching goals and assists over the years.

Barnes gave Liverpool supporters a decade of brilliant memories, especially in the first-half of his career on Merseyside, and he was the biggest reason why the Reds were one of English football's most entertaining sides ever in the late 1980s.

Quite why he never did it for England will always remain something of a mystery, but he was absolutely unstoppable for Liverpool. A once-in-a-generation footballer.