Who scored more Liverpool goals – Torres or Suarez?

Liverpool Football Club has always prided itself on boasting some of the finest goal-getters in English football within its ranks – with that roll of honour including illustrious names such as Billy Liddell, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler and Mohamed Salah.
A reliable presence in the No.9 berth, despite not always filling that particular shirt, has allowed the Reds to collect countless major honours at home and abroad. Even when enduring the odd barren spell on the trophy front, a prolific presence has often been found to lead the line.

Contenders

Two strikers that slipped seamlessly into that category crossed paths on their way in and out of Anfield during the winter transfer window of 2011. The £50 million raised from the sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea late in that January allowed Luis Suarez to be drafted in from Ajax.

Neither can claim to have savoured top-flight glory during their time on Merseyside, but both came close and were regular contenders for Golden Boots and PFA Team of the Year selections.

Jurgen Klopp would likely welcome the presence of either among his class of 2022-23, with Salah remaining the go-to option at present for a side that has once again slipped out of title contention. Not only this but they're now priced at odds of 9/2 for a top-four finish according to outright Premier League betting markets. The most disappointing aspect of this current pricing is Liverpool dominated not all that long ago.

Torres and Suarez are now interested observers from afar when it comes to events at Anfield, with the latter retired as a World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain while the latter is back in his native South America with Brazilian outfit Gremio.

Their respective spells in English football will live long in the memory, with Reds supporters given plenty to cheer down the years, but who can claim to have posted the better record while donning one of the most famous jerseys on the planet?

Well, Torres packed his bags for West London with 81 goals to his name through 142 appearances. Suarez took in fewer games, turning out on 133 occasions, but just edges things on the goal front after finding the target 82 times.

The enigmatic Uruguayan also gets the nod from former team-mates when it comes to choosing between two instinctive finishers, with Jamie Carragher having said: “Suarez, oh Suarez. Unbelievable. I actually think he was the best centre-forward in the world for like three or four years.”

Ex-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said when asked to make his pick between the pair: “If you asked me who was the best player on a daily basis consistently, I’d say Suarez is an animal, but my best years were alongside Torres.”
Compare

It is always a thankless task trying to compare players from different time periods, even when those eras are so close together, with there any number of factors that need to be taken into consideration – from the collective quality of colleagues to managers and opponents via tactical systems and minutes on the field.

Torres and Suarez have both earned their respective places among Liverpool folklore, though and can live out the rest of their days knowing that they – along with many other fellow frontmen – Will Never Walk Alone.

 

Written by Alan Spencer