Liverpool have often been led by some of the greatest managers seen throughout the history of English football.
The Reds have appointed real leaders over the years in the form of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley – who reigned supreme at Anfield in the 60s and 70s – with Jurgen Klopp among the best Liverpool manager of the 21st century so far.
Of course, trophies are the be-all and end-all when it comes to football management, but who are the best ten Liverpool managers in history in terms of win percentage? Let’s take a look.
10 – Roy Evans
1994: Portrait of Liverpool Manager Roy Evans at Anfield in Liverpool, England. Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /AllsportFrom: 31st January 1994To: 12th November 1998Games managed: 226Wins: 117Draws: 56Defeats: 53Trophies: 1Win percentage: 51.77%
Roy Evans took over at Liverpool in 1994, in the middle of a difficult season that saw the Reds out of the FA Cup and mid-table in the Premier League.
The manager was backed in the transfer market with some new faces, which resulted in a League Cup triumph in the 1994/95 season.
There were incremental improvements to Liverpool over the following years, which ended up with battles for the league title.
In 1998, after nearly four years in charge, Evans was made joint manager with Gerard Houllier, but he would go on to hand in his resignation in November, leaving Houllier as the sole man in charge.
9 – Bill Shankly
Photo by Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesFrom: 1st December 1959To: 12th July 1974Games managed: 783Wins: 407Draws: 198Defeats: 178Trophies: 10Win percentage: 51.98%
Billy Shankly will forever be remembered as one of, if not the, greatest managers that Liverpool have ever had.
The Scotsman took charge in 1959, when the Reds had been languishing in the second tier of English football.
Promotion followed in 1961/62, before three first division titles, two FA Cups, a UEFA Cup and three Charity Shields.
It wasn’t just the winning that made Shankly memorable, but his impact on the fabric of the club itself.
He had an idea of what it meant to be Liverpool, building the foundations of the club as we know it today.
8 – Gerard Houllier
Photo By Phil Cole/Getty ImagesFrom: 16th July 1998To: 24th May 2004Games managed: 307Wins: 160Draws: 73Defeats: 74Trophies: 6Win percentage: 52.12%
Gerard Houllier initially joined as joint-manager at Liverpool with Roy Evans, a role that only lasted a few months before the Frenchman took sole charge of the team.
In a six-year stint, he transformed the team once again, landing a UEFA Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Charity Shield.
Houllier left after being asked to agree an exit by the club’s board, before he had spells with Lyon and Aston Villa.
7 – Joe Fagan
Aug 1983: Portrait of Liverpool Manager Joe Fagan. Mandatory Credit: David Cannon/AllsportFrom: 2nd July 1983To: 29th May 1985Games managed: 131Wins: 71Draws: 36Defeats: 24Trophies: 3Win percentage: 54.20%
Joe Fagan was a Liverpool man through and through, having spent all of his coaching career at the club.
It started off with a role coaching the reserves, before transitioning to the first-team setup as a coach and then the assistant under Bob Paisley.
Once Paisley retired, Fagan was given the chance to shine, spending two years in charge at Liverpool.
In 1983/84, he completed the treble, winning the First Division title, League Cup and the European Cup.
In 1985, Fagan decided to retire, calling time on his stay at the club.
6 – Rafael Benitez
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesFrom: 16th June 2004To: 3rd June 2010Games managed: 350Wins: 194Draws: 77Defeats: 79Trophies: 4Win percentage: 55.43%
Rafa Benitez spent six years at Liverpool, where he had some instant success.
The Reds made it to a League Cup final, before winning the Champions League in 2005, producing the comeback of all comebacks when beating AC Milan in Istanbul.
There was an FA Cup to follow, along with a Community Shield and a UEFA Super Cup, but difficulties followed as Liverpool struggled in the transfer market and declined once more, with Benitez dismissed in 2010.
5 – Bob Paisley
Photo by Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesFrom: 26th August 1974To: 1st July 1983Games managed: 535Wins: 308Draws: 131Defeats: 96Trophies: 20Win percentage: 57.57%
Another iconic figure in Liverpool’s history, Bob Paisley replaced the outgoing Bill Shankly, having been part of his coaching team during an impressive spell at the top.
There was some hope that the success found in those years would continue, which it did, as the Reds secured several First Division titles, League Cups, European Cups and more.
Paisley called time on his career in 1983, bringing an end to his 44-year association with the club, but cementing himself as one of the greatest in their history.
4 – William Edward Barclay and John McKennaFrom: 15th February 1892To: 16th August 1896Games managed: 127Wins: 77Draws: 20Defeats: 30Trophies: Win percentage: 60.63%
William Edward Barclay and John McKenna worked together as part of the group who helped form Liverpool.
In that time, the Reds then bounced between the first and second division, starting off their journey as the club we know today.
3 – Jurgen Klopp
Photo by Stuart Franklin – UEFA/UEFA via Getty ImagesFrom: 8th October 2015To: 31st May 2024Games managed: 491Wins: 299Draws: 109Defeats: 83Trophies: 8Win percentage: 60.90%
Perhaps one of the most influential figures in modern Liverpool history, Jurgen Klopp played a huge role in getting the team back to the top.
With his intense pressing style, combined with smart recruitment, the German coach rebuilt the team to glory.
Klopp ended the club’s 30-year wait for a Premier League title, while also landing an FA Cup, a Champions League and two League Cups.
After nine years at the helm, the coach called it a day in 2024, citing low energy levels and a need to rest after several successful campaigns.
2 – Kenny Dalglish
Photo by Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton ArchiveFrom: 30th May 1985To: 21st February 1991Games managed: 307Wins: 187Draws: 78Defeats: 42Trophies: 11Win percentage: 60.91%
Another iconic figure from Liverpool’s history is Kenny Dalglish, who was not only instrumental as a player for the Reds on the pitch, but as a manager too.
The Scotsman had two spells at Anfield, with the first one lasting six years from 1985 until 1991.
Dalglish won ten trophies in that time, continuing a spell of dominance that Liverpool enjoyed at the very top of the game.
He then returned in 2011, overseeing a tough spell for the club as they looked to return to the top again.
In that time, the League Cup came back to Anfield, but he eventually left in 2012 after failing to land Champions League qualification.
As both a player and a manager, Dalglish is an important figure for Liverpool and remains a key part of the club’s history.
1 – Arne Slot
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty ImagesFrom: 1st June 2024To: PresentGames managed: 60Wins: 41Draws: 9Defeats: 10Trophies: 1Win percentage: 68.3%
The current Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, took over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of his nine-year stint at the club.
The Dutchman masterminded a surprise Premier League triumph in his first year in charge, kickstarting the next era in style.