Notable players
editIn the period before the Second World War several players played for Liverpool for lengthy periods of time, earning themselves great admiration. Among these were Ephraim Longworth, a solid full-back who became Liverpool's first England captain in 1921,[1] and Elisha Scott, who played in goal for Liverpool for 22 years, making him the longest serving Liverpool player ever.[2] In front of goal, of particular note is Gordon Hodgson, who scored a record 17 hat tricks playing for the club in the 1920s and 1930s.[2]
In the 1960s, as Bill Shankly transformed the club into a European power, among the players who established themselves as key elements of Liverpool's success were Ron Yeats, who Shankly famously described as his "colossus",[3] and Roger Hunt, who scored 245 league goals (still a club record) as well as being part of England's World Cup winning team in 1966.[4]
Paisley's additions to the squad were an important factor in Liverpool's success during the 1970s and 1980s. Two Scottish signings of 1977 had a particular impact: Alan Hansen, who was a part of three European Cup winning teams[5], and Kenny Dalglish, known to fans as 'King Kenny', would excel as a Liverpool player before becoming Liverpool's first Double-winning manager. In 1980 Paisley signed 19-year-old Ian Rush, who progressed to become the club's leading goalscorer.[2]
More recently famous players have emerged from Liverpool's youth set up. In the early-1990s Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler emerged to play as winger and striker for the club, while later in the decade Michael Owen, current captain Steven Gerrard and vice-captain Jamie Carragher came through the Liverpool Academy.[6]
- ^ "Profile of Ephraim Longworth". Liverpool F.C. official site (liverpoolfc.tv). Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- ^ a b c "LFC Records". Liverpool F.C. official site (liverpoolfc.tv). Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ "Ron Yeats: The Colossus". lfchistory.net. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
- ^ "Profile of Roger Hunt". Liverpool F.C. official site (liverpoolfc.tv). Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ "Profile of Alan Hansen". Liverpool F.C. official site (liverpoolfc.tv). Retrieved 2006-09-12.
- ^ "The Liverpool F.C. Academy in Kirkby". liverweb.org.uk. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
(n.b. not all references will work in this userspace version, because it's copied and pasted straight from the old version of the article)