Every Dutch Liverpool player - Ranked

Here's every Dutch footballer to have played for Liverpool ranked. The Reds have had some great ones down the years.

Liverpool didn't have a single player from the Netherlands feature for them until August 1999 - when they debuted two. Since then, 12 Reds have come from the country.

Of course, the current Liverpool captain is Dutch, while they added another this summer in Ryan Gravenberch. But who are the best to have played for the club?

We've ranked all 12 for how they did at Liverpool.

12. Ki-Jana Hoever

Ki-Jana Hoever arrived from Ajax as a teenager with bundles of potential. There was an immediate sense that he was destined for the first-team as either a centre-back or a right-back.

That certainly looked true when Hoever made his debut against Wolves in the FA Cup. In doing so, he became the third-yougest player in Liverpool's history. Unfortunately, things never really moved beyond that.

Hoever only played four times for Liverpool and never in the Premier League before joining Wolves in 2020.

11. Sepp van den Berg

A lot of what we said about Hoever can be said about Van den Berg. He also arrived from the Eredivisie as an incredibly bright young prospect, capable in various defensive roles.

And like Hoever, Van den Berg has only played four times for Liverpool. There just hasn't been that big break yet and he's been out on loan since 2020. But unlike his compatriot, Van den Berg remains contracted to the Reds - so there's still potential for more.

10. Jan Kromkamp

Rafa Benitez tried to replace Steve Finnan at Liverpool after arriving. First it was Josemi, who couldn't displace the Irishman. After one season, he went the other way in a deal with Villarreal for Jan Kromkamp.

Kromkamp couldn't do it either, however. He played just 14 Premier League games before leaving for PSV Eindhoven after failing to make an impact at Anfield.

9. Erik Meijer

Erik Meijer had an incredibly difficult task ahead of him when he arrived at Liverpool in 1999. How do you break ahead of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler to play up top?

The answer is that you don't, really. Meijer worked incredibly hard for the Reds but played 24 Premier League games without scoring. A popular player in his time but, ultimately, one who just couldn't deliver what Liverpool needed.

8. Ryan Gravenberch

Okay, so Ryan Gravenberch hasn't done all that much yet - he's only been around for a couple of months - but here he is at no.8. The reason for it is that Gravenberch has already shown a level above those players beneath him.

Some of his performances have been seriously impressive and he was arguably Liverpool's best player at home to Toulouse. Even if it's all downhill from here, he's still done more than the others have.

But we don't think it will be downhill. Gravenberch seems to have all the talent needed and we're sure the Reds will get it out of him.

7. Cody Gakpo

Cody Gakpo still has a long way to go before he leaves an actual legacy at Liverpool - he hasn't been around for a year yet. But it won't be long.

Gakpo is already a key member of the squad and looks set to be just that for years to come. He's had some big moments, too, with the opening goal in the 7-0 rout of Manchester United standing out.

He'll climb this list easily, probably over the rest of the season. But for now, he can sit in 7th.

6. Boudewijn Zenden

Bolo Zenden could have been so much more at Liverpool. He started immediately after his arrival on a free transfer in 2005, playing a role in the Super Cup win. However, a serious knee injury that December cost him the rest of his season.

The second campaign was a positive one, even if there were further injuries. Zenden was still good enough that he started both semi-final fixtures in the Champions League in 2007, as well as the final.

Without the injuries, he could have been a bigger player for Liverpool but he still managed to leave an impact.

5. Ryan Babel

When Ryan Babel arrived at Liverpool, he looked set to be a top, top player. There were comparisons to Thierry Henry and he did look like he had it all as a left-sided forward. Plenty of excitement.

Liverpool got three and a half years out of the Dutch winger but Babel always flattered to explode into something special rather than actually doing it. There were spectacular moments, of course, and he was a regular part of a fantastic team in 2008/09 but it just never quite came together.

Still, he left his mark at Liverpool and was a good player - just not quite what everyone thought he could be.

4. Sander Westerveld

Sander Westerveld wasn't the perfect goalkeeper for Liverpool by any means. Few have been as successful, though.

Westerveld was Liverpool's no.1 in the 2000-01 treble-winning season. He did, admittedly, have a bit of a nightmare in the UEFA Cup final, conceding four and just not looking good enough. Gerard Houllier replaced him the following summer - just a few months after all the trophies, in fact.

But it still stands that Westerveld was in the starting XI as Liverpool enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in their history. That puts him high on this list.

3. Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt was a magnificent servant for Liverpool - one of the hardest-working players ever seen at the club. He gave Anfield six years of fantastic service, hitting double-digits for Premier League goals in three of them.

You're going to struggle to find anyone who has a bad word to say about him. Just exactly the kind of player fans love to have and Kuyt is unquestionably a Liverpool legend. It's just such a shame that he didn't get the chance to win more while at the club.

2. Gini Wijnaldum

Liverpool took a chance on Gini Wijnaldum. They paid a substantial amount of cash to sign a player from a relegated side in 2016 - but he repaid every penny and more.

Wijnaldum was a key member of the 2018/19 Champions League-winning side, as well as the team that won the Premier League the following year. That might just be the best Liverpool side in history.

But maybe that's underselling it. The Dutchman's efforts in the historic, legendary, almost-unbelievable 4-0 comeback win over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final are up there with the best we've seen from any player. On as a half-time substitute, Wijnaldum scored twice, cementing his legacy as an all-time Liverpool great.

1. Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk isn't just Liverpool's greatest-ever Dutch player - he's one of the absolute best to play for the club of any nationality. His arrival transformed the Reds from the fringes of European football to be one of the sides in the world.

That's no understatement and it's something world football recognised. PFA Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or runner-up, UEFA Player of the Year - Van Dijk has a list of individual accomplishments that few Liverpool players have ever matched.

And, of course, Van Dijk was arguably the best player as Liverpool won the Champions League and Premier League. A magnificent player, up there with the very best to wear the red shirt.