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Liverpool have been blessed with many gifted Irish players over the years and to celebrate St Patrick's Day, here's our top-10 Reds from the Emerald Isle.

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10. Jason McAteer

McAteer turned out 52 times for the Republic of Ireland compared to 146 caps plus record 68 goals that Robbie Keane – who misses out on this list – got for his country but the much-travelled striker only lasted at Anfield for half a season before Rafa Benitez shipped him off back to Tottenham Hotspur.

So the Birkenhead-born right wing-back/midfielder gets the nod courtesy of his 139 appearances for his boyhood club (Keane might also tell you he was a childhood Kopite depending whether or not there are Celtic fans in the room).

9. Jim Beglin

The man from Waterford became Bob Paisley's last signing as Liverpool manager in 1983 and a couple of years later established himself as first-choice left-back following an injury to Alan Kennedy and was part of the 1986 double-winning side.

Beglin's Liverpool career came to a premature halt two games shy of the century mark in 1987 when he suffered a horrific leg break against Everton at Goodison Park.

Although he eventually returned to fitness, he never wore the red shirt again and after being sold to Leeds United, he hung up his boots aged just 27.

8. Steve Staunton

The Drogheda-born utility man was capped 102 times for his country and turned out for Liverpool in several different positions – including keeping a clean sheet as an emergency goalie for final 16 minutes of a Merseyside Derby against Everton at Anfield in 1999 after Sander Westerveld was sent off.

Primarily a left-back or centre-back, 'Stan' as he was affectionately known, won League Championship and FA Cup winners medals in the first of two spells with the Reds, totting up 148 appearances in total.

7. Ray Houghton

Born in Glasgow but moving to London at the age of 10, the right-sided midfielder was told by Andy Roxborough he wasn't good enough for Scotland's Under-18s and went on to star for his Donegal father's homeland, netting two of their most-celebrated winning goals against both England and Italy in the European Championships and World Cup respectively.

At club level, he went on to secure a brace of both League Championships and FA Cups with Liverpool, making 202 appearances and scoring 38 goals.

6. John Aldridge

Like the aforementioned Houghton, local lad 'Aldo' joined Liverpool from Oxford United.

A lifelong Red, the prolific Garston-born striker netted 63 times in 104 appearances for the club – including totals of 29 and 31 in all competitions in 1987/88 and 1988/89 respectively – before becoming the first non-Basque player to join Real Sociedad.

Now an ECHO columnist, Aldridge finishing his career back on Merseyside with a decade-long stint as both a player and then manager of Tranmere Rovers.

Capped 69 times for Ireland, he gained notoriety for an expletive-laden tirade towards a fourth official and FIFA representative when frustrated by not being allowed to come on as a substitute against Mexico in the 1994 World Cup.

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5. Steve Finnan

Snapped up from Fulham for £3.5million in 2003, the Limerick-born right-back became one of Liverpool's most-reliable performers over the next five years, making 217 appearances.

Manager Benitez said: “Finnan is a player who will always play at a consistent level. He will be seven, eight, nine or even ten out of ten every week.”

Capped 53 times for the Irish, Finnan was part of the Liverpool sides that won the Champions League in 2005 and FA Cup a year later.

4. Elisha Scott

The younger brother of another goalkeeper, Billy Scott of Everton, the Belfast-born player is considered one of Liverpool's greatest talents of the pre-war era.

Overlooked by the Blues as a teenager, he joined the Reds in 1912 and went on to make 468 appearances over the next 22 years.

Enjoying a legendary rivalry with Dixie Dean, Scott won back-to-back League Championships with Liverpool in 1922 and 1923 and vies for a place with Ray Clemence as the club's best-ever player in his position.

3. Steve Heighway

One of the greatest entertainers ever to wear the Liverpool shirt, Bob Paisley once said of the winger: “I've never seen a footballer move more gracefully than him. He should have been an Olympic athlete because he was so beautifully balanced.”

Playing in an era when it was still a great novelty for players to have studied for a degree, the Dubliner was nicknamed 'Big Bamber' after University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne with diminutive team-mate Brian Hall 'Little Bamber.'

Heighway actually delayed his route into the professional ranks because of academic commitments – reading Economics and Politics at the University of Warwick in Coventry – but he made up for lost time, turning out 475 times for the Reds and scoring 76 goals.

He won four League Championships, an FA Cup, a League Cup, two European Cups and two UEFA Cups in a trophy-laden career at Anfield and later took charge of the club's Academy.

2. Mark Lawrenson

One of the most-clinical tacklers to have played centre-back for Liverpool, 'Lawro' was also quick and powerful at the heart of the Reds defence.

He could have come to Anfield as a 19-year-old from his local club Preston North End in 1977 but Liverpool were outbid by Brighton & Hove Albion who offered £100,000, while the Reds refused to up their bid of £75,000.

Lawrenson eventually made it to Merseyside for a then-club record £900,000 some four years later and went on to make 356 appearances, winning five League Championships, an FA Cup, three League Cups and a European Cup before an Achilles injury forced him to hang up his boots in 1988.

1. Ronnie Whelan

The magnificent LFC History website includes a quote from Paisley of Whelan: “When those special matches come round and there are medals to be won and the pundits are asking whether the match winner will be Rushy or Kenny or Brucie, then I look past them all towards Ronnie Whelan and think to myself: 'There's our man for the big occasion.'”

Such words were best exemplified by the midfielder netting the winning goal in extra time against Manchester United in 1983 League Cup final at Wembley.

The Dubliner was snapped up by Liverpool for £35,000 from Home Farm in 1979, six days before his 18th birthday.

He went on to make 493 appearances for the Reds and scored 73 goals, turning out for the last time in 1994.

In between he won six League Championships, two FA Cups, three League Cups and a European Cup.