TLW

LIVERPOOL 1 Debreceni 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Dirk KuytHalf Time - 1-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Wed 16 September 2009 Star Man – Dirk Kuyt The expression 'it's the result that counts, not the performance' was invented for games like this. For long spells this was excruciatingly dull, as we made hard work of disposing one of the weakest sides in the competition. Maybe due to the lowly standing of our opponents we were confused into thinking that this was actually a qualifying game rather than the group stages? After all, we've seen many similar performances to this in the qualifiers, but we're usually on our game once the real thing comes around. Debreceni deserve some credit for that, as I thought they worked extremely hard closing us down and they were tidy enough in possession. Fortunately for us they just had zero cutting edge. For our part, we were very uninspiring, yet with better finishing we'd have recorded a similar scoreline to the Stoke and Burnley games. Albert Riera was the main culprit, spurning two or three good chances in the first half. Rafa had gone with the same team that had beaten Burnley, although Mascherano, Babel and Aurelio were all back on the bench after not being involved at the weekend. Just as he was against Burnley, Kuyt was our liveliest performer in the early stages, and he was involved in everything we did. I thought we were ok in the first half, and should have been a couple of goals up at least by half time. Riera went through twice, the first time when Gerrard sent him clear and he dragged a shot wide, and the second time his weak shot was saved following a brilliant through ball from Carragher. Given the quality he has in his left peg, both efforts were pretty tame, and what made it all the more infuriating was when shortly afterwards he jinked past three players and unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards that the keeper could only parry. If he'd connected as well with the two previous efforts, as well as another shot he dragged wide early on, he'd have probably gone home with the match ball. Kuyt had almost managed to latch onto the rebound when the keeper parried Riera's shot, but he had better luck in 1st half stoppage time when Torres' strike was saved by the keeper and he managed to get there ahead of the defender to prod the ball into the empty net. It's something that Dirk does very, very well. He follows shots up better than anybody else in the side, and he seems to be able to keep himself onside when he does it. He has it down to a fine art in fact. At half time I was thinking that it had been a bit disappointing, but that we'd played ok in parts and if our shooting had been better we'd be well ahead. The second half was a different story though, I thought it was turgid. We still managed one or two good moments - a slalom run from Yossi and a rasping volley from Gerrard spring to mind - but by and large it was awful. Thankfully, they never looked capable of taking advantage of the possession we allowed them to have, so there's no harm done other than to the wallets of those who had paid £38 to watch this snoozefest. A friend of mine didn't make it to the game as his train broke down on the way from London. He ended up missing the game, and having to get straight back on another train to take him back to the Big Smoke. The second half was so bad that a part of me felt that he was the lucky one! The atmosphere was non-existent, probably due to a number of factors. The crowd at Champions League games seems to be much different to what it was even a couple of years ago. There are much more 'first timers' and 'tourists' than ever before, probably due to Thomas Cook cashing in on the demand for people wanting to sample the 'Big European Atmosphere'. If Thomas Cook keep siphoning off tickets to sell in their package deals, pretty soon there won't be any atmosphere. I noticed at the Real Madrid game last season there were so many people there who would normally have not been able to get tickets, and that problem will become more noticeable again this season if and when we reach the knock out stages. But that wasn't the reason for the shite atmosphere in this game. Getting tickets wasn't a problem for anyone who wanted one, as they ended up on general sale. Problem was, people couldn't be arsed going, and at £38 a ticket for a televised game against a side most people hadn't heard of, it's not difficult to see why. Those that did turn up weren't particularly 'up' for it either, but again, that's understandable. The Hungarian fans were well up for it, and sang continuously throughout. They would though wouldn't they? It's all new to them, the whole Champions League thing, playing against the big boys etc For us there's a certain complacency around games like this, both on and off the pitch. The important thing is not to slip up, make sure of the three points, then forget about it. When we think back to 2005, what are the games we remember? Olympiakos, Juve, Chelsea, Milan. Maybe Leverkusen as well. How many remember the early group games, or that we actually lost at home to Graz in the qualifying round? Like I say, these games are just about making sure you don't slip up so you can go on and face bigger and better opposition later on. It would be nice to see sides like Debreceni swept aside by 5 or 6 goals, but it rarely happens that way, not just for us but for all the top sides. There were some good performances on the night I thought. Kuyt played well, Yossi had his moments and I thought Carragher was excellent despite not ever being overly stretched. Lucas did a lot of good work in midfield, closing people down and making tackles, and whilst he contributed little in an attacking sense I don't mind that so much when he's partnering Gerrard as he doesn't need to. Team: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Lucas, Gerrard; Benayoun (Mascherano), Kuyt (Aurelio), Riera (Babel); Torres:

LIVERPOOL 4 Burnley 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Yossi Benayoun (3), Dirk KuytHalf Time - 2-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sat 12 September 2009 Star Man – Yossi Benayoun Yossi Benayoun was the hero as the reds recorded their third win of the season at home to a spirited but out of their depth Burnley side yesterday. The Israeli midfielder once again showed that he may well be the most under-rated player in the Premiership at the moment, as he registered his third hat-trick since arriving at Anfield. With Mascherano unavailable, Rafa's midfield options were limited to say the least. Moving Gerrard back into the middle is something many fans have wanted all season, but Benitez is clearly reluctant to disrupt the partnership the skipper has with Torres. His hand was forced this time however, and Gerrard partnered Lucas in midfield, with Kuyt reverting to a central role alongside Torres. Yossi began the game on the right flank, but ended up causing havoc all over the park and in the end it was difficult to know where he was actually playing. Burnley had no idea, as they certainly weren't picking him up, that's for sure. Benayoun was simply outstanding, and the hat-trick was well deserved. The result was fairly emphatic, and by the end we could have scored several more as it was extremely one sided. For the opening twenty minutes or so though, this was looking like it could be a very tricky afternoon. Burnley's approach to the game was unlike anything we usually see from anyone outside of the top four. It's very rare for an opposing team to come to Anfield and just give it a go and not worry too much about getting everyone behind the ball and 'making things difficult'. In the end, that played right into our hands, but for a while there they were in this game and looking lively. We started badly. Skrtel in particular looked a little shaky and made a couple of errors. Burnley are still in that mindset where everything is new and exciting to them, and having beaten the mancs and Everton already this season, went into the game with the aim of enjoying themselves and seeing what happens. A bit like Hull last season. I noticed in one attack they had early on, that they had six players in our penalty area. Their entire midfield and forward line were all in our 18 yard box in open play, which is something you don't see too often. I wish every team we faced had that mentality, as we find that much easier deal with than the 'park the bus' approach. At this stage they probably fancied their chances of getting something, as we weren't creating much and seemed to be struggling to adapt to the change in formation. Gerrard was quiet in the opening exchanges, and didn't get forward much at all. He just sat in the middle of the park with Lucas and held his position. Maybe that was what he was told to do, or perhaps it was simply a case of him seeing how the land lies and assessing the opposition and how they (and Lucas?) were playing before he decided he'd start going forward. Once he did begin making those trademark surges, Burnley were in deep trouble as they couldn't cope with him. In the 2nd half Gerrard just killed them, he was simply far too good for them. Lucas did a good job alongside him, snapping into tackles and keeping it simple with his passing. I couldn't disagree more with Rafa's post match assertion that Lucas was the key to the victory, but he played well and made a good contribution. If the second half belonged to Gerrard, the first half was more about Benayoun and Kuyt. After that slow start, we eventually began putting some moves together and Yossi should have opened the scoring when he did well to get in front of his marker and win a header, but having done the hard part in getting there he failed to direct it properly. He didn't have to wait long for an opportunity to redeem himself. A swift pasing move down the right ended with Kuyt feeding Benayoun, and he raced towards the penalty area, nutmegged a defender and then stroked the ball into the bottom corner. The goal sparked us into life, and a minute later Yossi almost had his second, his diving header from Riera's cross bringing a smart save from the portly Jensen, who also did well to keep out Kuyt's effort from the rebound. Riera then saw a low shot drift inches wide of the far post, before we added a second goal. Given all our problems this season defending set-pieces, it was amusing that our second goal came from a Burnley corner. A swift break upfield, a shot from Yossi, a save by the keeper and Dirk puts in the rebound. Game over. The second half was completely one sided. Burnley kept trying to play their football, but Pepe had very little to do really. Jensen on the other hand was regularly being brought into action. The third goal came just after the hour mark, and it owed everything to the sheer brilliance of Gerrard. People don't seem to be saying too much about it, but I was blown away by how easy he made that look. I'm not sure there's another player in the league that could have collected a pass that was a yard behind them whilst running flat out, and then managed to keep their balance and go past a challenge, before getting their head up and delivering a perfect cross to present a team-mate with a tap in. For me it was absolutely brilliant, right up there with the piece of skill he produced to create Kuyt's goal against Stoke the other week. Quite simply Steven Gerrard is the best footballer I've ever seen. At 3-0 Rafa felt comfortable enough to give Degen his Premiership debut. Not bad, he's only been here 14 months! It was an easy game for him to come into, as we were completely in control and it was a great opportunity for him to just get forward and enjoy himself. Voronin also got a run out, as did N'Gog. I'd have loved to have seen Spearing given a chance, but I can't say I was surprised he didn't get on. A shame, it would have been an ideal opportunity for him to show what he can do. Voronin was heavily involved in the time he was on the field. It's far easier for him and N'Gog to come on in games like this, where the points are safe, the opposition are well beaten and we are doing all the attacking. It's much different to coming on when we are chasing a game, and it's easier to look god in this kind of scenario. Voronin did look pretty good, apart from in front of goal that is. The first opportunity he had, he refused to take the shooting chance and instead back-heeled the ball into the path of Gerrard. To be fair, it was wonderful awareness to know where his skipper was, and had Gerrard's shot not been saved then Voronin would be getting praised for his part in a goal. As it was, people around me were having a go at him for not taking the shot himself. "Why didn't he go himself?" they asked. A few minutes later they had their answer, when he went clean through and missed the target when it was easier to score. THAT is why he didn't go himself! But that miss aside, he did well I thought, and it was his pass that had presented Yossi with his hat-trick. Everyone seemed to stop, waiting for an offside flag, but I sit right in line with that and could see he wasn't offside, as the left back was behind everybody else when the ball was played. I don't think Yossi knew that though, he looked like he expected it to be ruled out, but finished it anyway just in case, and then had a nervous look at the linesman, before sheepishly celebrating his hat-trick. His first half display and three goals (it should have been four as he was robbed by a linesman's error) make him a shoe in for the star man (unless your name is Rafa Benitez of course!), but Gerrard ran him close and I thought Kuyt was very good too. Of the rest, Carragher impressed as well as Lucas and Insua. Riera was very in and out, but I suppose he will need games to get his full sharpness back, and Torres struggled again and didn't look fit. He seemed a yard off the pace all afternoon. Still, if we can win 4-0 without him being on his game, that's a good sign. Team: Reina; Johnson (Degen), Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Benayoun, Gerrard, Lucas, Riera; Kuyt (Voronin), Torres (N'Gog):

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/news/82742-liverpool-1-aston-villa-3-match-report.html

LIVERPOOL 1 Aston Villa 3 Report by Pete Schulz at Anfield Scorer(s) – Fernando TorresHalf Time - 0-2 Venue - Anfield Date - Mon 24 August 2009 Star Man – Jamie Carragher Three games played and already there's a big fat 2 in the defeats column. I have to say I'm worried. If two defeats isn't worrying in itself then there's a lot more to be losing sleep over at the moment. The latest defeat to Aston Villa has certainly done nothing to dispel fears that the title challenge could be over before we get going. And let me get a couple of things out of the way first. I thought we were awful on Monday night. The game showcased our four main deficiencies - as I see them currently - and sadly, they are the same ones we've been discussing pretty much since the turn of the millennium. If that statement makes you not want to read the rest of this, I'm sure I'll manage. Deficiency #1 We need passing ability People have been discussing to which extent we are missing Xabi Alonso. That discussion will no doubt resurface after every defeat we suffer during the rest of Xabi's career, but I thought this game cried out for him to step in and dominate. At the moment we have no one in midfield who can pass the ball more than 10-15 yards and even then it's mostly sideways. I lost count of the number of times Javier Mascherano and Lucas were stepping over each other's toes in front of the central defence with neither being able to thread a pass through or switch play, and I'm talking solely of the first half here. It makes us extremely easy to play against when our two central midfielders pose no threat and can be left in possession with a minimum of effort on the opposition side. In the second half the problem persisted only this time the pair had the ball 15-20 yards further forward. Problem was the same, however. I don't know anything about Alberto Aquilani, but his potential importance to us cannot be underestimated. Deficiency #2: Not enough attacking movement. In my opinion a problem that we have been struggling with since the days of Gerard Houllier. And I think we are no closer to solving it. Teams will come to Anfield to defend and hit us on the break and on dead ball situations. We know this and they know this. When teams are sitting deep we simply move the ball about in a 25-30 yard radius from their goal. And we are desperately looking for more than one player to make a run for his teammate with the ball. When it happens we generally look dangerous, but at the same time it would mean taking risks on attacking runs that will invariably leave spaces to exploit on the counter attack. Deficiency #3: Defensive Set pieces I'm not going to knock zonal marking because I think that generally it has proved valuable to us during Rafa's reign. It gets highlighted when we concede, because a lot of people in my profession don't seem to understand the concept. Teams which use man marking concede goals from set pieces too but when it happens pundits and journalists can generally blame a single player going to sleep. When it happens to Liverpool, they don't quite know who to blame and it just gets attributed to all of them as well as the manager. How many times have we heard the "you can mark players, but you can't mark space"? Having said this, why have we seemed to lose our ability to act as a unit on defensive set pieces? When Rafa took over we hardly ever conceded from corners and freekicks but at the moment I am dreading every single one. Against Aston Villa we conceded goals from a freekick and a corner where 11 reds had switched off collectively. Deficiency #4: The thinnest squad in ages When things aren't going for us, who have we got to come on and change games? I don't trust Ryan Babel, Andrei Voronin, Albert Riera, Nabil El Zhar or David Ngog to come on and change anything. What else is there to add right now? Steven Gerrard was way under par as if his head was somewhere else and I do wonder if he's got other stuff on his mind. I've heard whispers that there's a private prosecution from Marcus McGhee or whatever his name is, backed by one of the papers coming Gerrard's way and I wouldn't be surprised if it's played on his mind. Equally worrying was Fernando Torres' level of performance. The first two seasons he was impossible to put out his stride but at the moment it looks like defenders don't have to try very hard to make him lose focus. And with those two out of the equation, well, any team would struggle. I notice Rafael Benitez has said afterwards that he is looking for more from his senior players. But I'm not sure it's entirely fair to blame our poor start on Gerrard, Torres, Carragher and Mascherano who have carried the team on their backs for such a long time. Perhaps if we had stronger players to relieve them on nights like yesterday we wouldn't have to put our faith in their hands week in week out. On a more positive note it was great to spend a weekend with Dave and his new wife over the weekend. That's why I'd like to give him the star man award. Except he won't allow that and so I'll have to give it to Jamie Carragher. Team: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua; Lucas (Voronin), Mascherano; Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun (Babel); Torres: Peter Schulz (or DT on the forums) is the editor of Danish sports website TV 2 SPORT and he writes a blog on English football. Earlier this year he also made a one hour documentary to mark the 20th Hillsborough anniversary.

LIVERPOOL 4 Stoke City 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt, David N'GogHalf Time - 2-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Wed 19 August 2009 Star Man – Glen Johnson The talk before and after the game was of the future of the manager. Once again, some bookies had stopped taking bets on Benitez leaving the club. Once again, it was absolute garbage. As expected, Rafa said afterwards that he is staying as boss, and it surprises me how so many people get taken in by these wild rumours. You'd think that this kind of talk before an important game might be detrimental to the team, but in reality it seems to have the opposite effect. The last time it happened the team went out and won in the Bernebeu. Stoke are no Real Madrid, but still, this was potentially a tricky fixture but we made it look easy. Perhaps someone should start one of these rumours before every game. I'm sure I wasn't the only one that entered Anfield with a certain sense of trepidation upon seeing the line up. Lucas and Masch together once more, and Danny Ayala in at centre half. Last season Ayala was fourth in line for a place in the ressies, behind San Jose, Kelly and Huth. Now, somehow, he's fourth in line for the first team. I was worried about him, but he did ok. It was a big gamble starting with him over Martin Kelly. Kelly is an England u20 international who has first team experience from his loan at Huddersfield last season, whereas Danny has only started about a dozen reserve games since he's been here, and he's not really impressed much in those. His main strength is that he's a very physical player, who would go through his own grandma to win the ball if he had to. Maybe that's why he got the nod against Stoke, as they would be seen as the most physical side in the league. He isn't what you would call a ball playing centre half though, that's for sure. He was understandably nervous in possession, but the good thing was that he made sure he didn't try anything he wasn't capable of. There was one occasion when he went back to Reina when there were other options and there were one or two groans (although overall the crowd were very supportive of him and encouraged him throughout). I noticed Carragher applauding him though, because it's better for him to do that than to give the ball away trying to do something he isn't good enough to do. There was another uncomfortable moment when he was in possession, and Stoke just let him have it and covered everybody else. He looked back at Pepe, who signalled him to go forward. Ayala looked forward, then hesitantly looked back to Pepe again, as if to say 'are you sure? I don't know if I can!". After more cajoling from Reina, Ayala headed forward with the ball, and looked like the most relieved man in the stadium when Lucas dropped back and took it off him! But this is an 18 year old kid with very little experience of any decent level football, and under the circumstances I don't think he could have done any better than he did. He won plenty of headers, he kept it simple and he played his part in a clean sheet. Credit to the boy, he can be pleased with his full debut and I'm sure he'll remember it for the rest of his life. He'll be able to tell his grandkids: "I kept James Beattie quiet on my Liverpool debut you know!" The other major worry I had also proved to be unfounded as Lucas and Mascherano worked well together and bossed the game, but the key to this win were the three players operating behind Torres. All three were in superb form, but as good as they were they had to take a back seat to Glen Johnson, who thrilled the fans with his adventurous play from full back. The key to games like this is to get off to a good start, and we did that. It took just four minutes for us to take the lead, but we'd gone close even before that when Lucas had a well struck shot saved by the keeper after a good build up down the right. The goal came from that side too. Gerrard surged to the byline and cut the ball across the box where Torres was left with an easy finish. We couldn't score past Stoke in 180 minutes last season, but it had taken only four this time. The question now was could we add to it. We dominated possession, and looked lively enough, but their keeper wasn't being tested too much. At the other end, they never looked like creating anything from open play, but they were beginning to force too many throw ins for my liking, and we continued the annoying trend we seem to have developed of giving away daft free-kicks in dangerous areas. Ironically, from one such free-kick we almost doubled our lead. An elaborate training ground set piece threatened to breach our defence, but Beattie's back heel didn't reach its intended target and we broke quickly upfield through Torres down the right. He crossed to the far post where Insua had made a lung bursting sprint to get into the box, but unfortunately he didn't get enough on his side footed finish and the ball went tamely into the side netting. We didn't have to wait too long after that for the second goal though, the unmarked Kuyt meeting a corner and forcing a save from the keeper, with Johnson on hand to acrobatically volley in the loose ball. We know he's a full back who can score goals, but this isn't the kind of goal you normally expect from him, so it was a nice bonus. Early in the second half he almost added the kind of goal you would expect from him, when he cut in from the flank, beat his man all ends up but was denied by the keeper. Arbeloa was capable of this kind of run as well to be fair, and in fact scored a goal that was very similar to what this one would have been. The main difference is that Johnson can make these runs a lot more often and with a lot more pace. Rafa said Johnson was signed to help give us an edge in games like this, and that's exactly what happened here. He's an exciting player, and I'm sure he'll turn out to be a good signing. Stoke had actually started the second half quite well and managed to pin us back a little with a succession of set pieces. From one of those, Delap sent a blistering drive towards the far corner. It looked a certain goal, but Reina made a truly stunning save. That was the closest they would come to a goal, as we took control again and they found it tough trying to contain Johnson, Gerrard, Kuyt and Yossi. Some of the interplay in and around the box was excellent, and the surprising thing was that it took so long for the third goal to come. When it did, it was worth waiting for. The piece of skill produced by Gerrard to take an awkward ball and turn away from his marker in one movement almost defied belief. It was just ridiculously good, and whatsmore he finished it off by delivering a perfect ball across the face of goal for Kuyt to claim a well earned goal. That goal was the signal for Rafa to start resting people. Gerrard, Kuyt and eventually Torres were all replaced, and one of the subs, N'Gog, put the seal on the win when he headed in from a couple of yards out after Johnson's cross had been palmed into the air by Sorensen. A good performance, a good result and a nice little bonus that Burnley sprang a surprise against the mancs. The Tottenham game is now out of our system, and we can look ahead to our next game with confidence. Star man was Johnson, but everyone played well. Lucas had a good game, and by that I mean he was actually 'good' as opposed to 'not bad'. He was unlucky not to score early on, he used the ball well and he made some excellent challenges. Mascherano was excellent alongside him, and as I've said the three in front of them were in terrific form. Carragher was back to his old self too, and some of his passing was superb. Then there's Pepe. Outstanding at White Hart Lane, and he made a brilliant save in this game when it was 2-0. Had Stoke pulled one back at that time it may have gotten edgy, but Reina ensured they didn't. Best keeper in the league by a mile. Next up are struggling Aston Villa. If we play as we did against Stoke, we should win easily. Villa have more threat in the forward positions however, unless Heskey is playing of course, but they have problems at the back and if Gerrard, Benayoun and Kuyt perform as they did in this game, we should have too much for them. A final word on the protests against the yanks. Credit to all those involved in organising it, and although it wasn't exactly embraced by the entire stadium, I think a lot of that can be put down to the fact that neither Gillett or Hicks were in attendance. I'd like to think that if a protest was organised for the next time they actually turn up, it will be a lot more vociferous and a lot more people will join in. I'd also like to see that twat Moores get the flak he deserves, he's had an easy ride for far too long. Team: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Ayala, Insua; Lucas, Mascherano; Kuyt (Riera), Gerrard (Voronin), Benayoun; Torres (N'Gog):

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/news/82246-skrtel-comes-through-practice-game.html#post1849006

Emilio is working, and Brownie can't make it unfortunately.

RIGOBERT SONG 1999-2000 by Dermot Date of Birth - 01/07/76 Nationality - Cameroon Position - Defender Games - 38 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None International Hons - Cameroon caps Other Clubs - Metz, Salernitana, West Ham United, FC Cologne (loan), Lens, Galatasaray, Trabzonspor Song arrived at Anfield in January of 1999 from Salernitana for £2.6 million. At the time he was probably best known to Liverpool fans as the only player to be sent off twice in consecutive World Cup finals (a feat since matched by Zidane). I for one was pleased to see him join, he could play at centre-half or right back and he was captain of the Cameroon national side. Unfortunately Song did not live up to initial hopes for him, he was rash and was often caught out of position and was moved on to West Ham after only a season and a half at Anfield and a total of 38 games at the club. While somewhat of a flop at Liverpool, Song is a legend in Cameroon, he is the most capped player in his nations history and has also made the most appearances in African Cup of Nations History. More info on Rigobert Song: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

ALAN JONES 1957-63 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 06/01/40 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 5 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None International Hons - None Other Clubs - Brentford Alan was a Welsh schoolboy international full-back who signed professional forms for Liverpool in May 1957 when he was 17 years old. Although he stayed at Anfield for over 6 years, he only played 5 times for the first-team. When regular right-back John Molyneux was unavailable for the visit of Cardiff City a few days before Christmas 1959, Alan stepped in to replace him. The Welshmen won 4-0 but it was a significant day in the club's history, the first time Bill Shankly had been in charge of a Liverpool team. 'Shanks' only called on Alan on four more occasions, the only 4 games that Gerry Byrne missed during the club's return to the First Division in 1962-63. Alan moved on to Brentford that summer and made nearly 250 Football League appearances for the West-London club before the end of the decade. More info on Alan Jones: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BILL JONES 1946-54 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 13/05/21 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 277 Goals - 17 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1946/47 International Hons - 2 England Caps Other Clubs - Hayfield St Matthews (amateur); York, Leeds and Reading (wartime guest), Ellesmere Port Town (amateur) Although Bill actually joined Liverpool in 1938, he was only a teenager at the time and the Second World War would immediately deprive him of several years of competitive football. By the time the Football League resumed 'normal service' on the last day of August 1946, Bill was 24 years old and he immediately made up for lost time by helping his club win the First Division championship, playing in 26 of the 42 League matches (including the title 'decider' at Wolverhampton) and scoring twice. Although the club would never reach such heights again for nearly 20 years, Bill was a regular member of the side for the next seven seasons and was an extremely versatile man who could play - and play well - in several different positions. He played in Liverpool's first-ever Wembley cup final (against Arsenal in 1950) but had to settle for a runners-up medal. But unfortunately the club never built on the little success they had enjoyed in the immediate post-war years and from 1950 onwards their final League placing got steadily worse until in 1953-54 (Bill's last season at Anfield), the relegation which had been narrowly avoided the previous season became a reality. Bill's 257th and final League appearance for Liverpool came on a day when relegation had already been confirmed; the Reds went down by three goals to nil at Blackpool. It was a sad end to a fine Anfield career. Bill was 'capped' by his country twice at centre-half, the position in which he played the bulk of his professional career.* His grandson, Rob, later went on to follow in his footsteps with Liverpool and England in the nineties. More info on Bill Jones: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JOEY JONES 1975-78 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 04/03/55 Nationality - Welsh Position - Full back Games - 100 Goals - 3 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1976/77, European Cup 1976/77, 77/78, UEFA Cup 1975/76 International Hons - 72 Wales Caps Other Clubs - Wrexham (3), Chelsea, Huddersfield The charismatic Welshman became a 'cult figure' on the Kop after his transfer from Wrexham, even though he only actually played for Liverpool during three different seasons. Joey was an enthustiastic and tough-tackling left-back whose uncompromising style quickly endeared him to the Liverpool crowd. He was 20 years old when Bob Paisley signed him in the summer of 1975 and still a bit 'raw', which perhaps explained why - even though he started the season in the first-team - he only appeared in 13 First Division matches, one short agonisingly of the number required to qualify for a championship medal. The left-back role was also covered by Phil Neal & Alec Lindsay (briefly) in 1975-76 but a year later Joey had established himself in the first-team and only missed 3 of the 42 League fixtures. 1976-77 was his and Liverpool's greatest year of the decade; only Manchester United's victory in the F.A. cup final prevented it from being the greatest-EVER season in the club's history. But Joey was a member of the side that finally brought the European cup back to Anfield after their memorable triumph in Rome. Midway through the next season, Joey lost his place to the ageing but still dependable Tommy Smith and then subsequently to a young Alan Hansen. It was clear that his time at Anfield was drawing to a close. He eventually rejoined Wrexham and later had spells at Chelsea and Huddersfield, where he was just as popular with the supporters as he had been on Merseyside. Joey finally returned to his first club for a second time before the 1987-88 season and when his playing career finally ended, he continued to work at The Racecourse Ground as a coach with the same enthusiasm that he had always displayed as a player. Joey was capped over 70 times by his country and even though he figured in less than a hundred first-team games for Liverpool, he is still fondly remembered by the fans as one of the most colourful characters ever to pull on the famous red shirt. More info on Joey Jones: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

CRAIG JOHNSTON 1981-88 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 25/06/60 Nationality - Australian Position - Winger Games - 271 Goals - 40 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1981/82, 82/83, 83/84, 87/88, European Cup 1983/84, League Cup 1982/83, 83/84 International Hons - None Other Clubs - Middlesbrough Born in South Africa but brought up in Australia, Craig was confident enough in his own ability to write to several English clubs as a 15 year old asking for a trial. Middlesbrough were the only ones that replied and so it was there that he established himself in English football, where his consistency and battling qualities soon brought him to the attention of bigger clubs. He signed for Liverpool in April 1981, still only 20 years old but with over 60 League appearance to his credit already. When he watched his new club win the European Cup in Paris only weeks after his arrival at Anfield, he must have dreamed of being part of similar success. But the reality proved much tougher and it was only in the second half of the following season (1981-82) that he was given the opportunity to show what he could do. He quickly became a crowd favourite because supporters recognised that he would run until he dropped, but he could also be a frustrating player to watch although his ability, courage and strength were never in doubt. His fortunes started to change on a freezing December night when Arsenal visited Anfield for a League Cup replay. After being substitute in 3 of the first 4 League matches, he had been largely overlooked since then. But his first goal for the club 5 minutes into extra-time helped see the Reds through to the quarter-final, although Craig failed to play any further part in the competition as his team went on to retain the trophy. But he was picked for the first League match after that Wembley success and played some part in all but one of the remaining League matches, contributing 6 goals as Liverpool regained the championship from Aston Villa. The following season (1982-83) was Craig's most productive as a goalscorer - 10 from 41 starts. He played even more matches the next season but only managed 4 goals although he did get his hands on the European Cup as a player just 3 years after watching his new team-mates lift the trophy on that night in France so soon after he had arrived at the club. However, it seemed that he was not in favour with Joe Fagan, who had taken over from Bob Paisley, the man who had signed him from Middlesbrough. But when Joe stepped down after 2 seasons in charge, Craig was given fresh hope and encouragement from his former team-mate Kenny Dalglish, who now had the difficult task of leading the club forward after Heysel. Craig played over 50 times in the 'Double' season of 1985-96 and was a key member of the team. The joy of scoring in an F.A. Cup Final was plain for all to see! After a promising start to the following season, the recurrence of a back injury kept him on the sidelines. But worse news was to come that Christmas. His sister was seriously ill in a Morocco hospital and he rushed immediately to be at her side. All this was kept from the Press at the time - and of course the supporters had no idea of the tragedy that was unfolding in his private life. His mind was obviously on other things and although he never gave up when he had a Liverpool shirt on, it was clear and natural that his family came first. Further injuries meant a reduced number of appearances in 1987-88 and he finally left England to return to Australia after making his final appearance in the best-forgotten Cup Final against Wimbledon. A year later, devastated by what had happened at Hillsborough, he not only raised thousands of pounds in his own country for the Fund which had been set up but also willingly flew half-way across the world to attend the memorial service at Anfield seven days after the disaster and stayed on to help counsel the bereaved families, a wonderful gesture which endeared him to Liverpool fans everywhere. The title of his autobiography "Walk Alone" was apt because in many ways he was a refreshing change from the 'typical' professional footballer. And the fact this his book was dedicated "In Memory of the Victims of Heysel & Hillsborough" showed how much he cared about the community that had accepted him as one of their own and who will always have fond memories of a player who ran himself into the ground in the Liverpool cause. More info on Craig Johnston: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DAVID JOHNSON 1976-82 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 23/10/51 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 174 (30) Goals - 78 Club Hons (Lpool) - European Cup 1976/77, 77/78, 80/81, League Championship 1976/77, 78/79, 79/80, 81/82, League Cup 1980/81 International Hons - 8 England caps Other Clubs - Everton (twice), Ipswich, Barnsley (loan), Man City, Tulsa Roughnecks (USA), Preston, Barrow (amateur), Naxxar Lions (MAL) Merseyside-born David first made his name with Everton and actually scored as a 20 year old against Liverpool in the Goodison 'derby' on 13th November 1971, a feat he would also repeat for Liverpool at Goodison in 1980. After four seasons with Ipswich Town, he became Liverpool's big summer signing of 1976. Although picked from the start for the first 8 First Division fixtures of 1976-77, many of David's 26 League appearances that year were from the substitute's bench but he still easily qualified for the first of his three League championship medals. David played (and scored) in the final League match of the season (away to Bristol City) and that was enough to earn him a place in the F.A. cup final team to meet Manchester United. But he was substituted by Ian Callaghan during the final and 'Cally' kept his place for the European cup final in Rome four days later. Injured for much of the next season, Johnson again missed out on a European medal in 1978 but finally achieved his dream by being part of the side that lifted the trophy for the third time at the Parc des Princes, Paris in 1981. David made important scoring contributions to the teams that won successive championships in 1979 & 1980, netting 37 times from 67 games during those two years. That form earned him 8 England caps and he scored twice in a 3-1 win against world champions Argentina at Wembley in 1980. David started the 1981-82 season as first-choice in the forward-line but the emergence of Ian Rush effectively ended his time at Anfield and he re-signed for his first club Everton in 1982. For more on Johnson check out "What's Up Doc?"

EMILE HESKEY 2000-04 by Alex Woo Date of Birth - 11/01/78 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 223 Goals - 60 Club Hons (Lpool) - FA Cup 2000/01, UEF Cup 2000/01, League Cup 2000/01, 2002/03 International Hons - England caps Other Clubs - Leicester, Birmingham, Wigan, Aston Villa Liverpool broke their transfer record to pay £11m for Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey in March 2000. It ended a long pursuit of the powerful forward who had broken on to scene under the guidance of Martin O'Neill at Leicester City. Not since Roy Evans signed Stan Collymore in the summer of 1995 had Liverpool paid such a large fee for a player, and looking back over their respective careers, they probably both went a similar way. Though still relatively young when he signed for the Reds, Heskey's goalscoring record was far from prolific, with him rarely getting more than 10 goals a season in his career up to that point, and having a poor record for the national side. He did possess the raw attributes to become an accomplished striker though, with frightening strength and electric pace, he was a defender's nightmare. Well he would have been if he didn't go down more than a Thai ladyboy in a 'massage' parlour. However, in his first full season at Anfield, Heskey was fantastic. He scored 22 goals, and created countless others for the team. Emile played a big part in Liverpool winning the treble that season, and appeared to put to bed any fears the fans may have had about him. His unselfish work in setting up his team mates stood out just as much as his strike rate, and he looked like he would press on and become one of the best strikers in Europe. After that historic season, the goals started to dry up for the big man. He managed only 13 in his following season, although he did form a strong partnership with Michael Owen, with Emile's style of play being the perfect compliment for Owen's predatory instincts. The pair replicated that form for England aswell, although like it was for Liverpool, Heskey's goal return was disappointing. The fans started to lose patience with Emile in Houllier's latter years, with the forward often being criticised for his lack of goals. GH defended Heskey though, by stating how many goals the forward helped create on a regular basis. Michael Owen also took a similar stance, and said Emile is a major reason why he scores so many goals. It seemed Heskey lacked the desire and the temperament to really succeed at the top level, and the striker's Liverpool career went sour towards the end. He seemed to go to ground far too easily, and often appeared to feign injury to be substituted in games he struggled in. When Gérard Houllier left the club in the summer of 2004, it came to no suprise that Heskey soon followed, moving to Birmingham City for an initial fee of around £3.5m, rising to £6m. Emile continued to struggle for form at Birmingham, and eventually moved to Wigan in 2006 for £5.5m, after only scoring 16 goals in two seasons at St. Andrews. Although his goal return dropped, his overall form for Wigan improved, with Emile's hard work and general play making him a fan's favourite at the JJB Stadium. This form didn't go unnoticed by Steve McClaren and later Fabio Capello, and after a three year absence, Heskey was recalled to the England squad, and has done well for the national side whenever called upon. There was serious interest from Rafa Benitez in bringing Heskey back to Liverpool in the winter of 2008, as Robbie Keane's form had been erratic, and the Reds needed cover for Fernando Torres. Thankfully, Martin O'Neill swooped and reunited Emile with him, this time at Villa Park in a £3.5m move. It's fair to say that Heskey's career with Liverpool was disappointing, as it initially promised so much, but he did play a major role in the Reds winning several trophies under Gérard Houllier, and he will always be remembered fondly for that. More info on Emile Heskey: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

GARY GILLESPIE 1983-91 by Phil Matthews Date of Birth - 05/07/60 Nationality - Scottish Position - Defender Games - 214 Goals - 16 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1985/86, 87/88, 89/90, European Cup 1983/84 International Hons - 13 Scotland caps Other Clubs - Falkirk, Coventry (twice), Celtic, Aylesbury United (amateur) Scottish defender Gary Gillespie was Joe Fagan’s first signing as Liverpool manager and was instantly met with a huge challenge – to find a way to break into the hugely successful Hansen-Lawrenson defensive partnership. Gillespie was no stranger to challenges though having captained Falkirk as a 17 year old and having been part of a Coventry side which had constantly battled the odds against relegation. It took Gillespie almost an entire season to make his full debut after a series of injuries, but finally he was given a chance in the League Cup against Walsall. Liverpool ended up as League, League Cup, and European Cup winners in his first season although Gillespie had not played enough games to qualify for a medal. During the 85 season, Gillespie completed a rare achievement for a defender. He scored a league hat-trick in Liverpool’s 5-0 defeat of Birmingham. He was getting plenty of game time as Hansen and Lawrenson both succumbed to injuries and two surging runs into the box saw him with two goals, when Liverpool were awarded a penalty. Jan Molby stepped aside to allow Gillespie to take it and he completed his hat-trick. Lawrenson’s premature retirement in 1988 saw Gillespie cement his place alongside Alan Hansen, and Liverpool won the league again. By the end of the 89/90 season, Gillespie was losing his place to Gary Ablett and Glenn Hysen, although he did score the winner against Derby County to seal the title for The Reds. When Kenny Dalglish resigned in 1991, the writing was on the wall for Gillespie and he was sold to Celtic for £925,000. Lawrenson and Hansen may have taken all of the plaudits, but Gillespie was every bit as important to the Liverpool side of the late 80’s. He is still heavily involved with the club and represents us in the Masters tournament, as well as being part of the commentary team for the Liverpool TV channel. More info on Gary Gillespie ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

ISTVAN KOZMA 1992-93 Date of Birth - 03/12/64 Nationality - Hungarian Position - Midfield Games - 10 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - International Hons - 40 Hungary caps Other Clubs - Salgotarjani TC, Ujpest Dzosja (twice), Bordeaux, Dunfermilne, Tatabanya Kozma began his career at Salgótarjáni TC in his native country of Hungary. Kozma then moved to Újpest FC and then to French Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux. In December 1989 he was signed by Jim Leishman for Scottish team Dunfermline Athletic for £550,000 which is still the clubs record transfer fee. At Dunfermline Kozma became a firm fan favourite playing 103 times and scoring 9 goals. In February 1992 he was a shock purchase for Liverpool, with Graeme Souness signing the Hungarian for £300,000. Unfortunately, Kozma never looked like breaking into the first team at Liverpool. In the 1991-1992 season he made 6 league appearances, two in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup. However, in 1992-1993 he would make just one appearance as a substitute in a Premier League game, before being released in July 1993. His poor performance at Liverpool earned him in 2007 the dubious success of being rated by Times Online as the fourth worst ever player to play in the Premiership. He was touted as a 'dead ball specialist', precious few fans could bear testimony to this, but a few players no doubt saw him murder a few free kicks in training! He then returned to Újpest FC. In 1995-96 he played for APOEL in Cyprus where, after amazing performances, he led his team to the Double. He played 40 times for the Hungarian national side, scoring once. After retiring from playing, he is worked as an assistant manager at Vasas SC in 2006-07. More info on Istvan Kozma ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

MARK WALTERS 1991-96 Date of Birth - 02/06/64 Nationality - English Position - Winger Games - 124 Goals - 19 Club Hons (Lpool) - FA Cup 1992, League Cup 1995 International Hons - 1 England cap Other Clubs - Aston Villa, Rangers, Stoke (loan), Wolves (loan), Southampton, Swindon, Bristol Rovers Walters began his career as an apprentice at Aston Villa, after signing professional forms he quickly showed why Ron Saunders signed him by making his debut under new manager Tony Barton on 28 April 1982 at the tender age of 17 in the 4–1 league defeat to Leeds United at Villa Park. Walters appeared 234 times and scored 48 goals in the 5 years he spent at his boyhood favourites before an offer of £550,000 from Scottish side Rangers tempted Walters into a move north of the border. Graeme Souness went back to his old club Rangers to snap up winger Mark Walters for £1.3 million in the summer of 1991. Walters had made a big impression in Scotland but was eager for a move back to the top flight in England and Liverpool represented a marvellous opportunity for him to show off his talents. He made his debut four days after signing, when he came on as a 65th minute substitute for Steve McMahon in a 2–1 league win over Oldham Athletic at Anfield on 17 August 1991. His first goal for the club was an 88th minute penalty in a 2–1 league win over Notts County at Meadow Lane on 7 September 1991. Souness brought Walters back to England hoping that he would terrorize the 1st Division defences as he had done in Scotland, however, this failed to materialize with the performances expected coming too infrequently. His best display all season was in a match against Auxerre at Anfield in the Uefa Cup. Liverpool trailed 2-0 from the away leg but won their home match 3-0 with Walters netting a late winner after tormenting the French defence all night long. He remained a regular in the side and helped Liverpool to the 1992 FA Cup Final, although he was an unused substitute as his team-mates beat 2nd Division Sunderland 2–0. Walters was Liverpool's first ever Premiership goalscorer when he equalized in a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in August 1992. That same season he was also the first Liverpool player to score a Premiership hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Coventry City. When Liverpool beat Bolton Wanderers 2–1 in the 1995 Coca-Cola Cup final, again an unused substitute, Walters was being used less as Roy Evans was employing three centre-halves with Rob Jones and Stig Inge Bjørnebye as wing-backs and three midfielders. He had already been sent out on loan to Stoke City (9 games, 2 goals) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (11 games, 3 goals) during the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons, and thus it was not surprising that, after not appearing at all during the first half of the 1995–96 season, Walters was allowed to leave, joining Southampton on 18 January 1996. More info on Mark Walters ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

RONNIE WHELAN 1979-94 Date of Birth - 25/09/61 Nationality - Irish Position - Midfield Games - 493 Goals - 73 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1981-82, 82-83, 83-84, 85-86, 87-88, 89-90; FA Cup 1985-86, 88-89; League Cup 1981-82, 82-83, 83-84; European Cup 1983-84 International Hons - 53 Ireland caps Other Clubs - Home Farm, Southend Whelan was born into a family of footballers from Dublin, Ireland; his father, Ronnie Whelan Senior, was an Irish international and a key member of the successful St Patrick's Athletic side of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ronnie Junior was a skilful and industrious midfield player, signed for Liverpool by Bob Paisley for a bargain £35,000 from Dublin club Home Farm F.C. on 19 September 1979, a few days before his 18th birthday and made his debut 18 months later, on the 3 April 1981, scoring his first goal in the 27th minute of the 3-0 league win over Stoke City at Anfield. This would be Whelan's one and only appearance of the season for the first team, as Whelan spent much of his first few months at the club in the reserves. The gifted successor to Ray Kennedy on the left flank of Liverpool's midfield, Whelan made a massive contribution to the club's majestic triumphs under Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish in the 1980's winning six League title medals, three FA Cup, a European Cup and three Milk Cup medals. Liverpool's trophyless season, culminating in the disaster at Heysel, in 1985 was followed by a much more successful season for Whelan and Liverpool, under the new management of Kenny Dalglish. Liverpool clinched another League title and added the FA Cup, with Whelan setting up two of the goals in a 3-1 victory over Merseyside rivals Everton, the first time the two had met in a cup final, also it was only the third League and FA Cup "double" of the 20th century. Liverpool ended the following 1987 season trophyless, losing the League Cup final to Arsenal. The following year, Whelan switched to a central role following the arrival of England winger John Barnes at Anfield. This season saw Liverpool play an exciting brand of football and they won both the league title and FA Cup, although Whelan missed out on the cup final as Nigel Spackman, who had won his place in the team when Whelan was injured earlier in the season was chosen ahead of him. Whelan's name and profile was even left out of the official match programme at Wembley for the FA Cup final against Wimbledon, which Liverpool lost 1-0. An injury to club captain Alan Hansen meant that Whelan spent much of the 1988/89 season as captain of Liverpool, a role he relished as the club progressed to another challenge for a "double". Then the Hillsborough disaster happened, and Whelan played a key role in leading the team on and off the pitch in a difficult time. When Hansen recovered, Whelan maintained the captaincy for continuity purposes and it was he who lifted the FA Cup after a 3-2 win over derby rivals Everton. However, he missed the chance to do the same with the League title, with Arsenal taking the championship thanks to a last-minute goal from Michael Thomas. Liverpool won the League again in 1990 but Whelan's role in the side was diminishing, mainly through a spate of injuries. He stayed at Liverpool until 1994 but an example of his bad luck came in 1992 when he scored the crucial equaliser against Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final, forcing a replay which Liverpool won on penalties, but missed the final against Sunderland, in which Liverpool triumphed 2-0, because of injury. On his departure from Anfield, Whelan became manager of Southend United and also worked with clubs in Greece such as Panionios and in Cyprus such as Apollon Limassol but most notably with Olympiakos Nicosia. His greatest success as a manager, was with Panionios in 1999, when his team reached for first time the quarter finals of a European competition, the Cup Winners Cup, when they were eliminated by SS Lazio with 0-4 and 0-3. He now works on the after-dinner circuit and does a spot of punditry. More info on Ronnie Whelan ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

In the summer of 2002, while recovering from an operation on his heart, Gerard Houllier scouted several players under the influence of strong medication. Several of them ended up at Anfield. One example of this was The Sheriff, Salif Diao. That summer was a disaster in terms of transfer dealings for the club. Diao was a virtual unknown to most Liverpool fans, but first came to people’s attention during the 2002 World Cup, where alongside his future Liverpool team mate El-Hadji Diouf, he formed a key part of the Senegalese team’s superb run to the quarter finals, including a goal in the first round against Denmark (and then shortly afterwards, a red card). Diao’s arrival at Liverpool for £5m was heralded by a typically understated comment from Gerard Houllier that he was “the next Vieira”. It was shortly very obvious that Salif wasn’t even close. Naturally a defensive midfielder, Diao was played in a variety of positions, including disastrous attempts in defence, where Liverpool were torn apart by future manager Rafa Benitez’s Valencia side. Diao was a strong tackler, but he was slow of mind and foot, and also very clumsy. After Rafa took over at Anfield, Salif found his way into central midfield. Against Fulham, he was substituted after he attempted to backheel the ball, miscontrolled it, and the opposition scored. He was loaned to Birmingham in an effort to engineer him a move away from Anfield, and the following season wasn’t even given a squad number at Liverpool, with his #15 being assigned to Peter Crouch. Injuries restricted his appearances at Birmingham, and his loan to Portsmouth the following season. Eventually, he was loaned to Stoke and his move became permanent when his contract at Liverpool expired. Everyone loves a trier, and Diao really was one of those, but he was also a terrible footballer and never should have been signed. More info on The Mighty Salif ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

A long term problem at Liverpool has been a lack of a decent left sided wide player. Gerard Houllier attempted to fill this gap by signing French international winger Bernard Diomede in the summer of 2000. A product of the youth system at Auxerre, Diomede was one of a number of players at the French club including Djibril Cisse, Jean Alain Boumsong, and Phillipe Mexes that the Reds were linked with at the time. On paper, Diomede was a good fit. He was quick and tricky with experience at the highest level (including a World Cup winner’s medal as part of the victorious 1998 France squad) and after his home debut against Sunderland, there was some optimism that perhaps the left sided problem had been solved. Diomede put in a lively performance and scored with an overhead kick, only for the linesman to disallow it, claiming that it didn’t cross the line. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a serious knee injury and once he recovered, he found it difficult to force his way back into the starting line up. He was eventually loaned to AC Ajaccio back in his homeland and was released when his contract expired. More info on Bernard Diomede: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DT can replace Lance for our team then. Now we need to accomodate Rene and Paddy!

ALAN IRVINE 1986-88 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 02/03/55 Nationality - Scottish Position - Striker Games - 4 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - Other Clubs - Hibernian, Falkirk, Dundee United, Shrewsbury Alan was never picked to start a Liverpool game. All four of his appearances for the club came as a substitute during the 1986-87 season, although oddly enough he did appear in three different competitions! He replaced Paul Walsh at Charlton and Barry Venison against Southampton in the League and the only other occasions he briefly tasted first-team action were against Luton Town in the F.A. cup and Everton in the League cup. More info on Alan Irvine: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

COLIN IRWIN 1979-81 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 09/02/57 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 44 Goals - 3 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Other Clubs - Swansea City, Merthyr Tydfil Liverpool-born Colin came through the Junior ranks at Anfield and made his League debut at home to West Bromwich Albion on 25th August 1979. A promising start continued in the next match with a headed goal at Southampton, even though Liverpool lost 2-3. But after appearing as a substitute against Nottingham Forest at the end of September, Colin lost his place and didn't feature in the first-team again in a League game until the following Spring. In 1980-81 he made a further 21 League appearances but this was the last season that he featured as a first-team player for the club. More info on Colin Irwin: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DIETMAR HAMANN 1999-2006 by Alex Woo Date of Birth - 27/08/73 Nationality - German Position - Defensive Midfield Games - 283 Goals - 11 Club Hons (Lpool) - UEFA Champions League 04/05, FA Cup 00/01 & 05/06, UEFA Cup 00/01, League Cup 00/01 & 02/03, European Super Cup 2001 & 2005, Charity Shield 2001 International Hons - 62 Germany caps 5 goals Other Clubs - Wacker München, Bayern Munich, Newcastle, Bolton (Registered As Their Player), Man City It's fair to say that a few questions were raised when Liverpool paid £8m to sign Didi Hamann in the summer of 1999. Many fans struggled to see what the German midfielder would bring to an already talented midfield which included the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Patrick Berger and a promising young midfielder by the name of Steven Gerrard. Hamann ruptured his ankle ligaments on his debut away at Sheffield Wednesday, and in his debut season, he struggled to really recapture the form that won him Newcastle's 'Player Of The Year' the previous year. Didi, along with Houllier, took some serious criticism from certain quarters in the summer of 2000, with many believing that the money spent on him was waste, and some fans saying 'he played too deep'. But the following season it didn't take long for 'The Kaiser' to win over the fans, and it became clear why Gérard Houllier paid such a large amount of money to bring him to Anfield. Didi added some much needed steel to the centre of midfield, and along with Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz at the back, wiped away the memories of that 'soft bellied' Liverpool side of previous seasons under Roy Evans. Strong in the tackle, cool in possession, a brilliant reader of the game and a sledgehammer of a right foot were just some of the qualities that made Hamann a hugely influential player for Liverpool as they made their transition under GH. In October 2000, Didi made history when he scored the last ever goal at Wembley as Germany beat England 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying match. It was a trademark Hamann thunderbolt free kick from 30 yards. He only scored 11 goals in his 7 seasons here, although they were mostly memorable strikes, but he probably should have got a few more for someone of his ability. The steely German played a signifcant part in Liverpool's historic treble campaign in 00/01, where he made more appearances in that season than any other midfielder in the squad. He was arguably in the best form of his career, and it was clear how crucial the 'holding midfield' role had become in the modern game. Along with the likes of Roy Keane and Patrick Viera, Didi proved in England, how much of an asset a top class defensive midfielder was. Although the team was in decline in the latter part of Houllier's reign, Hamann's form was as consistent as ever, and he was the perfect foil for Gerrard in the centre of the Liverpool midfield. A model pro both on and off the field, Hamann played a huge role in helping Stevie mature into the player he is now. When Rafa Benitez took over as Liverpool manager in 2004, talk was rife of new players coming in at central midfield, and Didi's place was reportedly under threat. In came the classy playmaker Xabi Alonso, and with Steven Gerrard firmly established as our first choice midfielder, and Didi's legs starting to tire quicker, it would have been easy for him to lose his place in the side. It soon became apparent that Hamann was still an integral part to the Liverpool side, and Didi played a vital role in the Reds glorious run to the Champions League Final. Many were suprised when Didi was left on the bench for the Champions League Final in favour of Harry Kewell. Losing 3-0 to AC Milan at half time in Istanbul, with Kaká running riot, then came what many class as Hamann's finest hour. Coming on at half time for Steve Finnan, Didi produced a brilliant disciplined performance for the rest of the game, and managed to keep Kaká and co relatively quiet. His calming influence and experience was vital as the Reds performed a miraculous comeback from three goals down to pull it back to 3-3. After no more goals in extra time, Hamann picked up a broken toe during the game (in fact some rumours suggest he actually broke it the night before the game!), but still had the nerve to step up and cooly slot the first penalty, leading Liverpool to a famous victory. With the arrival of young midfielder Momo Sissoko the following season, aswell as Bolo Zenden, Didi found his opportunites cut short in or Liverpool. With the Reds finishing runners up in the Premiership to rivals Man Utd, Hamann still had one more part to play in another final. Coming on in the second half of the FA Cup Final, trailing 3-2 to West Ham, his experience was vital as Liverpool managed to equalise through Steven Gerrard's spectacular injury time strike. After another 3-3 draw in normal time, the final went to penalties, with Didi stepping up to take the first penalty just like he did in Istanbul, and again calmly dispatching it, and helping the Reds to a second trophy in as many years. After seven highly successful years, and a rather enviable medal collection, Didi made his emotional farewell that summer in rather strange circumstances. The midfielder signed for Bolton in June 2006, but then had a 'change of heart' and moved instead to Manchester City, having spent only 24 hours with the Trotters. Bolton received £400,000 compensation for a player they had never played. I doubt many can blame him for not wanting to play for Bolton. aabjtdixcGI LP4zIBPMGMc U2-K_eaqviU izYq7yf_Pfo More info on Dietmar Hamann: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

“It’s not as if he’s changed his religion”, Gerard Houllier said at the press conference to announce his signing. Forward Nick Barmby’s Anfield career is more famous for the controversial nature of his arrival, being the first player for over 40 years to make the move across Stanley Park. Everton fans were incensed and Liverpool fans were overjoyed, although arguably more at getting one over on The Bitters than with the signing itself. As a player, Barmby had a fairly uninspiring goal scoring record and career history, but his versatility was a big asset and he was deployed in a variety of positions for Liverpool, mainly on either flank. He was a good solid all rounder and performed admirably in a red shirt. His real value came in Europe though, where he scored key goals in our triumphant UEFA Cup run, as well as a header in his first Merseyside derby in a red shirt, which of course went down a treat with both sets of fans. Barmby played a key part in the 2001 treble winning season, but by the end of the season, he was injured, missed the FA Cup Final, and was an unused substitute in the UEFA Cup final. From then on, lack of form and a poor injury record limited his first team chances and by the time he was fit after a long term injury, he was well down the pecking order. He was sold to Leeds for £2.75m and ultimately moved on to his home town club Hull City, where he remained until the end of his playing days. More info on Nick Barmby ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future