If you’re one of those people who don’t like to read too much into stats then this isn’t the page for you.
Because it could be argued it’s possible to read an awful lot into Liverpool’s current squad, and the club’s fortunes over the past few seasons, through this one stat about the top European scorers in their current squad.
Lucas Leiva is Liverpool’s top scoring player in European competitions, and, until last week, had mores goals in continental competitions for the Merseyside club than the rest of the squad combined.
Liverpool's leading scorer in European football in our current squad is Lucas Leiva, this is the greatest stat in the history of football.
— Nate (@NateGuildea) September 19, 2015
We’ll give you a moment to process that.
Lucas is also the longest serving player in Liverpool’s current squad, however the Brazilian midfielder has only scored six goals in eight years and 278 appearances.
Three of those six strikes have come in European competitions, the last of which back in the 2010/11 season, but it’s still enough to make Lucas the 51st highest scorer in Europe in the club’s history.
Of the current squad, captain Jordan Henderson has two goals in Europe and Joe Allen has a single goal. While Adam Lallana’s strike against Bordeaux last Thursday meant the rest of the current squad combined now have four goals to Lucas’ three.
It could be argued this stat shows the high level of player turnover in recent years, and Liverpool’s lack of Champions League football or Europa League success.
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool’s all-time top European scorer is Steven Gerrard, who had 41 goals.
