Hall of Fame - Class of 2021

In the summer of 2017 we decided on the four founding members of the TLW Hall of Fame and then added four more inductees as the ‘Class of 2017’. Another four went in a year later and so on. Every summer four more legends will be inducted. However, we need your help to do it.
  
HOW IT WORKS 
 
The voting panel consists of representatives from TLW, the media, the former players association and also a popular fan vote, which is where YOU come in, by voting below.
 
Each year there will be a group of ten nominees, from which four will be voted in. The six who don’t get in will remain on the ballot for the following year and beyond, until they are eventually selected. Those voted in will be replaced by four new names for the following year. 
 
In 2017 Ian Rush, John Barnes, Billy Liddell and Ian Callaghan were voted in to join the four founding members; Bill Shankly Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard. 2018 saw Emlyn Hughes, Roger Hunt, Alan Hansen and Graeme Souness selected, while in 2019 five players made it in after Jamie Carragher, Phil Neal and Kevin Keegan were joined by Phil Thompson and Ian St John following a dead heat.
 
There will be a separate category for managers & coaches (with one inductee every four years), but for now we’re just concentrating on the players. 

There was no vote in 2020 or 2021 but rather than skip those years we chose to resume from where we left off. So last year the "Class of 2020" was chosen (Robbie Fowler, Ron Yeats, Terry McDermott and Ray Kennedy) and now we'll do the "Class of 2021".

The six remaining candidates who did not get in last time will now be joined by four new nominees this year. The new four are Alan Kennedy, Jan Molby, Steve Heighway and Ephraim Longworth.
 

As explained in previous years, it was not just a case of picking the ten greatest players available, which in itself would also have been incredibly difficult. Other factors come into it, although only great players will be considered. For example, few would claim that Phil Neal was one of Liverpool’s ten most talented players of all time, but nobody can match his medal haul or achievements so therefore he's in 
 
We also felt that it was important to have a mix of players from across several eras rather than just selecting the greats of the 70s and 80s. For example, none of us saw Elisha Scott play but excluding him on that basis wouldn't be right. His career record speaks for itself. Some have missed out so far as a result of the decision to spread it across all eras, but over the coming years they’ll all be added to the mix, usually when someone from their generation (or playing position) has just been voted in. For example, Ray Clemence will go on the ballot when Scott is eventually voted in.
  
We would really appreciate your support and participation, both in terms of voting and spreading the word by telling your friends and sharing on social media.
 
So without further ado, here are this year's nominees...

STEVE NICOL

Regarded by many fans as the club's best ever full back, Nicol enjoyed a stellar 13 year career at Anfield where he excelled in a variety of positions.

He took over from the ageing Phil Neal at right back during the 1985/86 season and helped the Reds win the league and FA Cup double, but it was on the opposite flank where he enjoyed his best form, combining with John Barnes to wreak havoc during the 1987/88 season when he was named Player of the Year by the football writers.    

ELISHA SCOTT

The Ulsterman joined Liverpool in 1912 and left in 1934, meaning he was between the sticks for an incredible 22 years.

In that time he won two league titles but, more importantly, he captured the hearts of those on the Kop. Scott was idolised by the fans, so much so that when the club attempted to sell him (to Everton!) it was the reaction of the supporters that forced them into changing their mind. Legendary Everton striker Dixie Dean described him as the best keeper in the world, and a fan poll in 1939 saw him voted Liverpool's greatest ever player.        

TOMMY SMITH

The Anfield Iron. The man who according to Shanks "was not born, he was quarried". Smith was the hardest man in an era of hard men but he was also a terrific footballer who excelled in a number of positions.

He made his debut in 1963 and his final appearance came 15 years later. In that time he won everything there was to win, with his finest hour coming in Rome in 1977 when he found the net with a thumping header in the European Cup Final. Tommy played 638 times for the club and paid a heavy price for that in later life with numerous ailments including severe arthritis and dementia. He passed away in 2019, aged 74.     

CHRIS LAWLER

The man for whom the expression "actions speak louder than words" could have been created for. The Silent Night. The Ghost.

Chris Lawler sits in 42nd place in Liverpool's all time leading goalscorers list even though he was a right back. He didn't take penalties. He didn't take free-kicks. He just used to sneak into the box unnoticed and get on the end of things. A great defender with the ability to finish like a striker, Lawler amassed an incredible 61 goals for the Reds. He also sits 11th on the total appearances list and he is perhaps the most under-rated legend in Anfield history. 

SAMI HYYPIA

The giant Finn was a modern day Colossus so it's ironic that it was the original 'Colossus' who discovered him and urged Gerard Houllier to sign him as the solution to Liverpool's defensive weakness.

Hyypia was an unknown when he arrived from Willem II in Holland but it was clear from day one that he was much better than anyone realised. Big Sami forged a formidable pairing with his partner in crime Stephane Henchoz, and would later form an equally effective duo with Jamie Carragher. He wasn't the quickest but he read the game like few others, he was dominant in the air and he could play. Sami also had a knack of scoring important goals and he enjoyed a stellar career at Anfield spanning a decade. 

RONNIE WHELAN

Under-appreciated in his time but history has been kind to Ronnie Whelan. Bixarrely, he was often the whipping boy of the Kop during Liverpool's dominance throughout the 80s but the Irishman is well and truly regarded as one of the greats now.

Coming into the side as a young right footer and being asked to follow in the huge footsteps of legendary figures such as Ray Kennedy and Steve Heighway can't have been easy, but Whelan put his own stamp on the position. He didn't play the way they did but he was hugely effective and had an uncanny knack of cutting inside and bending the ball into the top corner in the biggest of games. After the arrival of John Barnes, Whelan re-invented himself in central midfield and became a key member of what was (and in the eyes of some still is) the greatest side in the club's history. 

STEVE McMANAMAN

A local lad who came through the ranks as a skinny teenager who could dribble like few before him.

McManaman arrived in the first team during a time of upheaval and it wasn't long before he was the most important member of Graeme Souness' young team. He struck up a brilliant understanding with his pal Robbie Fowler and soon became one of the most exciting players in the country.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of Fowler and McManaman the team wasn't winning anything. During Macca's time with the Reds only two trophies were won and he was instrumental in both, scoring in an FA Cup Final win over Sunderland and then finding the net twice in a League Cup Final win over Bolton.

He left in somewhat controversial circumstances as one of the first high profile Bosman transfers, swapping Anfield for the Bernebeu and playing a key role in two European Cup wins.

STEVE HEIGHWAY

A Liverpool legend who enjoyed a stellar playing career before returning in a youth development role and helping to produce some of the best players in the recent history of the club. 

Heighway won five league titles, two European Cups, two UEFA Cups, an FA Cup and a League Cup in a glittering playing career, making 475 appearances as he dazzled on the wing. A great entertainer, he was snapped up from non-league Skelmersdale United after being spotted by Bob Paisley's sons and remains one of the greatest bargains in the history of the club.

He returned to Liverpool after his playing career as head of youth development and oversaw the development of McManaman, Fowler, Owen, Carragher and Gerrard. Steve Heighway - a true Liverpool great.  

JAN MOLBY

One of the best foreign imports in club history, the big Dane with the thick scouse accent spent 12 years at Anfield and has remained in the area since retirement. 

Molby learned his trade at Ajax alongside Johan Cruyff and although he got off to a slow start following his move to Merseyside, once he settled and began to show what he could do he became a firm favourite with the Anfield crowd.

One of the greatest passers the English game has ever seen, Molby had it all. He could shoot with both feet, he could dribble, he could tackle and he was pretty much automatic from the penalty spot. His finest season for the Reds was 1985/86 when he inspired the team to an historic League and FA Cup double. Molby scored 21 goals in 58 matches and produced some dazzling performances.

His career never hit those dizzy heights again and he had problems with his weight throughout his time at the club. He also had a six week stint in prison for a motoring offence, but such was his talent that Kenny Dalglish convinced the Liverpool board to give him another chance. Molby is without doubt one of the most talented players to pull on the famous Red shirt.

ALAN KENNEDY

The man for the big occasion. A left back who didn't score a ton of goals somehow managed to come up with the decisive strike in TWO European Cup finals, cementing his place in Anfield folklore.

Kennedy joined the Reds from Newcastle in 1978 having lost to them in the FA Cup Final four years earlier. He didn't get off the greatest of starts, as he himself explained;  "Early on I miskicked with my right foot - the one I use for standing on - and knocked a policeman's helmet off. I also conceded a couple of corners and made a few errors. I just wanted half-time to come to get some reassurance from the manager but when I got back to the dressing room, Bob said to me, 'I think that they shot the wrong Kennedy!'

Things turned out alright for him in the end though, with the man affectionately dubbed "Barney Rubble" by the Kop going on to make 359 appearances and scoring 20 goals.