All-time most Premier League red cards for Liverpool including Steven Gerrard

09/12/2024 11:30 AM

More than 50 Liverpool players have received red cards in the history of the Premier League, so Rousing The Kop looks into who has been sent off the most for the Reds.

The Merseyside outfit are one of the few remaining ever-present Premier League clubs after signing up for the breakaway division's debut 1992/93 season. Liverpool are even one of the few sides to win the Premier League yet after lifting the title under Jurgen Klopp in 2019/20.

Liverpool also recorded the best disciplinary record in the Premier League during their title-winning season with 38 yellow cards and one red. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker received their only dismissal that term with a straight red in a 2-1 win at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

A number of important Liverpool players have received red cards in Premier League games, including in some of their biggest fixtures. So, with that in mind, Rousing The Kop looks into who has received the most red cards in Premier League games whilst playing for Liverpool…

3) Robbie Fowler – two Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 266
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Everton (A) 15/04/1997
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Bolton (A) 31/10/1997

While Robbie Fowler is remembered fondly at Anfield for being one of the best products of Liverpool's academy after scoring 183 goals in 369 career games, he also ranks among their players with the most red cards in Premier League games after receiving two in 266 outings.

Fowler even received both of his red cards for Liverpool within the space of just six months back in 1997. The forward's first dismissal in a top-flight fixture even came in a Merseyside Derby as Fowler merited two yellow cards during a 1-1 draw away to Everton in April 1997.

Liverpool also had to settle for a point when Fowler received a red card after two bookable offences again during a trip to Bolton Wanderers in October 1997. But unlike away against Everton, Liverpool lost their lead away at Bolton after Fowler's red card in the 75th minute.

3) Jamie Carragher – two Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 508
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Charlton (A) 12/02/1999
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Fulham (A) 31/10/2009

No one in the Premier League era ranks higher among Liverpool's record appearance makers of all-time than Jamie Carragher. He played 737 times for the Reds, including in 508 games in the top-flight. But the centre-back also caught the attention of the referee multiple times.

Carragher, a one-club player at Liverpool, received at least one yellow card in each of his 17 seasons in the Premier League. Yet it took until the defender's third season and second as a first-team regular to receive a red card as Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic.

Referee Mike Reed elected to send Carragher off in the 68th minute at The Valley having felt he elbowed Mark Kinsella in the neck. The Liverpool academy product stretched his left arm across the midfielder, who made an exaggerated reaction to the contact with the score 0-0.

It took another 10 years before Carragher received another red card in the Premier League with Liverpool, though. He managed to escape another sending off until the Reds travelled to Fulham in the 2009/10 season and lost 3-1 to a Cottagers side managed by Roy Hodgson.

Lee Mason was the referee for Carragher's second and final red card in the Premier League in Liverpool's loss to Fulham. He had also already issued Philipp Degen his marching orders only three minutes before Carragher then committed a professional foul on Bobby Zamora.

3) Pepe Reina – two Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 247
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Chelsea (A) 05/02/2006
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Newcastle (A) 01/04/2012

No goalkeeper has so far received as many red cards in Premier League games for Liverpool than Pepe Reina did with two. The Spaniard further received the first of his sending offs for the Reds in his debut season on Merseyside as the Anfield natives lost 2-0 away to Chelsea.

Referee Alan Wiley sent Reina off in the 82nd minute at Chelsea for violent conduct after he shoved Arjen Robben in the face. Martin Atkinson later held the whistle as Reina merited his second red card for Liverpool in another 2-0 loss, this time on the road at Newcastle United.

Reina went six years without receiving a red card in a Premier League game for Liverpool up until he led with the shot-stopper's head whilst squaring up to James Perch. The goalkeeper reacted angrily after Perch fouled him when Reina collected a header from Mike Williamson.

3) Jordan Henderson – two Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 360
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Manchester City (H) 13/04/2014
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Watford (A) 24/11/2018

Eight years went by from 2015 until 2023 with Jordan Henderson serving as one of the many Liverpool captains of the Premier League era. He spent a total of 12 years at Anfield, as well, over which Henderson received two red cards through his 360 Premier League appearances.

Henderson also featured 71 times in the top-flight for Sunderland before joining Liverpool in 2011 but never received a single red card. Mark Clattenburg then issued Henderson the first of his sending offs in April 2014 as Liverpool dug in to beat Manchester City 3-2 at Anfield.

Clattenburg issued Henderson a straight red card in the 93rd minute for a late challenge on Samir Nasri as the title rivals clashed. It also proved to be the only straight sending off that he ever received for Liverpool after taking two yellow cards in a 3-0 win at Watford in 2018.

3) James Milner – two Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 230
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Crystal Palace (A) 06/03/2016
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Crystal Palace (H) 19/01/2019

What James Milner offered Liverpool between 2015 and 2023 will likely see him go down as one of the greatest free transfers of all time. The vastly versatile midfielder joined the Reds after winning two Premier League titles for Manchester City and added another to his tally.

But the one-time Champions League winner with the Reds also added two further red cards to his Premier League account whilst on Merseyside. Milner had only ever received one red card before joining Liverpool as Manchester City won 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion in 2012.

Liverpool did not have to wait long to see a referee present Milner a red card in one of their Premier League games, though. Andre Marriner elected to send him off after two bookable offences away at Crystal Palace near the end of Milner's debut season as a Liverpool player.

It was even against Crystal Palace that Milner received the second and final red card of his Premier League career for Liverpool three years later. Jonathan Moss this time waved two yellow cards in Milner's direction within just seven minutes as the Reds won 4-3 at Anfield.

2) Javier Mascherano – three Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 94
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Manchester United (A) 23/03/2008
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Portsmouth (A) 19/12/2009

Among the Liverpool players with the most red cards in Premier League history, few have a hit rate as poor as Javier Mascherano. The Argentine only featured in 94 top-flight matches through his three-and-a-half-years at Anfield yet referees sent Mascherano off three times.

Mascherano even received two of his three red cards with Liverpool against their bitter rival, Manchester United. Referee Steve Bennett gave the midfielder two yellow cards in a 3-0 loss at Old Trafford in March 2008, with both coming before the break under coach Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool later managed to pip Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield despite Mascherano again drawing two yellow cards in October 2009. Yet the first and only straight red card of his time at Liverpool arrived in that December due to his nasty tackle on Portsmouth's Tal Ben-Haim.

1) Steven Gerrard – six Premier League red cards for Liverpool

• Appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League: 504
• First Premier League red card for Liverpool: Everton (H) 26/09/1999
• Last Premier League red card for Liverpool: Manchester United (H) 22/03/2015

Few players in the history of the Premier League have received more red cards than Steven Gerrard did in his career with Liverpool. Referees issued the midfielder his marching orders six times in total throughout his 504 appearances in the top-flight between 1998 and 2015.

Gerrard also received his first dismissal in his first full season as a first-team regular during a Merseyside Derby as Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Everton. Referee Mike Riley dug into his pocket to dismiss the Reds product in stoppage time after a tactical foul on Kevin Campbell.

After drawing a red card in his first full season in Liverpool's first-team, there was symmetry in Gerrard also earning a straight sending off in his final campaign on Merseyside. This time, the midfielder saw red only 36 seconds into the second half at home to Manchester United.

Brendan Rodgers initially started Gerrard on the bench but decided to introduce his skipper with his side a goal behind. But Liverpool were made to regret Gerrard's introduction as he scythed through Juan Mata and followed it by intentionally standing on Ander Herrera's leg.

Gerrard would only play in five more Premier League games for Liverpool after his red card against Manchester United. It also finished his nine-year run without a red card in the top-flight, including going the entire 2011/12 season without picking up a single booking at all.