12th August

The Doc is in
1976 – Ex-Blues forward David Johnson signed from Ipswich Town for a club record £200,000. He went on to win three League titles, European Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields, scoring 78 times in 213 reds games. He was the first player to score for both sides in Merseyside derbies, and returned to Goodison in August 1982 for £100,000.

Most recently
2018 – Three reds made their debuts as we thumped West Ham United 4-0 in our season opener at Anfield – keeper Alisson Becker, Naby Keïta and Xherdan Shaqiri. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring, with Sadio Mané bagging a brace and Daniel Sturridge completing the scoring. This secured our 500th Premier League victory.

In comes José
2011 – Left-back José Enrique signed from Newcastle United for £5.5m. He impressed reds fans in his early appearances, netting twice in 99 games in all and helping us to claim the Carling Cup and reach the FA Cup Final in his first campaign, before being released in May 2016.

2019 - Andy Lonergan joined the reds, having been released by Middlesbrough earlier in the summer. The reds became the twelfth club of his professional career, but he failed to make the first team, although he sat on the bench on eight occasions, including nights when we claimed the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
2022 – Leeds-born forward Oakley Cannonier signed a new contract with the reds, having joined the reds at Under-12’s level and turning pro in July 2021. His most significant impact to date has been as the ball-boy who quickly handed the ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold for his “corner taken quickly” against Barcelona in our UEFA Champions League Semi-final second leg in May 2019.

Joyeux anniversaire
1981 - Our former record £14m signing Djibril Cissé was born in Arles in France. His first season was one of tremendous ups and downs, including a horrific leg break and converting a penalty in the Champions League Final. He notched a total of 24 times in 79 reds games, including scoring in the UEFA Super Cup Final and FA Cup Final, but then spent a season on loan at Olympique de Marseille, for whom he signed permanently for £6.3m in July 2007.

1990 – Mario Balotelli was born in Palermo. The Italian striker signed from AC Milan for £16m in August 2014, only scoring four times in 28 games in his one season at Anfield, spending s campaign back on loan at AC Milan before joining Nice on a fee transfer in August 2016.
2010 - He joined Manchester City from Internazionale for €21.8m after 28 goals in 86 games for the nerazzurri.
1948 – Former first-team coach Patrice Bergues was born in Créteil, France. He worked with Gérard Houllier at Anfield between 1998 and 2001, later working with him at Olympique Lyonnais.
1997 – Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi was born in Ilorin. He signed from Imperial Academy for £400,000 in August 2015, spending most of his time since out on loan before being sold to Union Berlin for £6.5m in July 2021.

Joy in Charity
We have twice claimed the FA Charity Shield on this day over the years.
1989 - Glenn Hysén made his reds debut as Peter Beardsley scored the only goal of the game against Arsenal at Wembley, in his hundredth reds match. Later, an Ian Rush header struck the post, landing in keeper John Lukic’s arms.
2001 - We made our third trip to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff inside six months, as a Gary McAllister penalty and Michael Owen strike handed us a 2-1 win over arch-rivals Manchester United. John Arne Riise made his reds bow in this game, which was the first eleven-a-side first-class match to be played indoors, as the stadium’s roof was closed against the rain.

Other signings
1982 – Forward David Hodgson arrived from Middlesbrough for £450,000. He never fully established himself in his two years at Anfield, scoring ten times in 49 appearances, although he did claim a League championship medal and helped us to clinch the FA Charity Shield on his reds bow before he left for Sunderland for £125,000.
2010 – Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen signed from Juventus for £4.5m, having previously worked with Roy Hodgson at F.C. København. He made 21 largely uninspiring appearances, without finding the back of the net, moving on to Évian Thonon Gaillard a year later. On the same day, future red Simon Mignolet played for Belgium Under-21’s.

For Billy and Zico
1974 - The reds took part in a testimonial match at Celtic for their legendary player Billy McNeill. The game ended 1-1, with our goal being scored by John Toshack.
1985 - We played in another testimonial game, losing 3-2 to Everton at Anfield. Phil Neal, whose testimonial it was, and Craig Johnston were on target for the reds.

International milestones
2009 - Sami Hyypiä won his hundredth senior cap, captaining Finland in their 1-0 friendly defeat by Sweden in Solna. This was his first cap as a Bayer 04 Leverkusen player, while fellow ex-red Jari Litmanen played his 125th international.

On the same day, Sotirios Kyrgiakos won his fiftieth cap for Greece, his final one as an A.E.K Athens player, as Greece lost 2-0 to Poland in Chorzów. Javier Mascherano also reached a half century of international appearances, skippering Argentina as they beat Russia 3-2 in a friendly in Moscow, with future red Maxi Rodríguez also in action.

Stan’s treble
1996 - Stan Collymore bagged a hat-trick in our 4-0 victory at Burnley in a pre-season friendly. Robbie Fowler completed the scoring.

Beating City
We have twice beaten Manchester City at Anfield in League encounters on this day over the years.
1969 - We won 3-2 with a goal from Roger Hunt and an Ian St. John brace. Tommy Smith scored an own goal in this game with City keeper Joe Corrigan playing his first game at Anfield, with Ian Bowyer also on target for the visitors.
1972 - We triumphed 2-0, thanks to an early Brian Hall strike and a late Ian Callaghan goal. However, this game was marred by the dismissals of Larry Lloyd and City’s Wyn Davies. Lloyd later became the first player to fight a ban before the newly formed independent disciplinary tribunal, in relation to this sending off. Steve Heighway reached a century of reds games that day, while Tommy Smith appeared for the 300th time.

Off the mark
2017 – Mohamed Salah scored on his reds bow as we were held to a 3-3 draw at Watford, Jürgen Klopp’s hundredth game in charge. We fell behind to a Stefano Okaka goal before Sadio Mané equalised. Abdoulaye Doucouré put the Hornets back in front, with Roberto Firmino equalising from the spot and Salah giving us the lead, which we held until a stoppage-time leveller from Miguel Britos.
2012 - Raheem Sterling scored his first reds goal as we beat Sami Hyypiä’s Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-1 in a friendly at Anfield. Lucas and Andy Carroll were also on target.
1991 - Mark Walters made his first reds appearance, in a 1-0 friendly defeat at Tranmere Rovers. He joined from Rangers for a £1.25m fee the following day, where he had been a big success.

Euro anniversary
1984 - We met Icelandic side Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur in a friendly. They were the first team we ever played in European competition, almost exactly twenty years earlier. This meeting ended 2-2, with Michael Robinson and Phil Neal on the scoresheet after we had fallen two goals behind.
1990 - We returned to that part of the world, winning 2-0 at HJK Helsinki, with Ray Houghton and David Burrows on the scoresheet.

Thumped in Spain
1988 - We were trounced 5-1 by Club Atlético de Madrid in the pre-season T Herrera Tournament. Substitute Ray Houghton scored our consolation goal at the Estadio Vicente Calderón. Alan Hansen dislocated his left knee in this game, keeping him out until the following May.
1983 - David Hodgson struck as we lost 2-1 to the same side in La Linea Tournament.
1986 - We held Real Sociedad to a goalless draw in San Sebastián.

Other friendlies
1967 - Ian St. John, Willie Stevenson, Ron Yeats and Roger Hunt all netted as we beat German side Hannover 96 4-1 at their Niedersachsenstadion.
1995 - Steve McManaman bagged the only goal of the game as we beat Shelbourne 1-0 in the Yorkie Premier League Challenge at Tolka Park in Dublin.

First and last caps
2009 - Glen Johnson won his first cap as a reds player as England drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in Amsterdam, with future red James Milner making his international bow. Dirk Kuyt was on target, while Ryan Babel and ex-red Emile Heskey also featured. Philipp Degen represented Switzerland for the first time since moving to Anfield, helping them to a goalless draw with Italy in another friendly in Basel. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa both won their first caps as Real Madrid players. Albert Riera struck his final goal for Spain while on our books, with Fernando Torres also netting and Pepe Reina also playing as Spain beat FYR Macedonia 3-2 in Skopje. On the same day, keeper Nikolay Mihaylov won his first cap since becoming a red as Bulgaria beat Latvia 1-0 in a friendly in Sofia.

More international goalscorers
2009 – Ex-red Milan Baroš converted a penalty as the Czech Republic beat Belgium 3-1 in a friendly in Teplice, while ex-red John Arne Riise scored as Norway thumped Scotland 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo. Future red Raul Meireles netted for Portugal in their 3-0 friendly win in Liechtenstein. Also in international action that day were Yossi Benayoun, Péter Gulácsi, Krisztián Németh, David N’Gog, future reds Mario Balotelli, Milan Jovanović, Ragnar Klavan, Christian Poulsen, Nuri Şahin and Luis Suárez and ex-reds Nicolas Anelka, Robbie Keane, Harry Kewell and Nikolay Mihaylov, while John Toshack took charge of Wales.

Olympian Raul
2004 - Raul Meireles played for Portugal in the Olympics Finals, coming off the bench as they lost a group game 4-2 to Iraq in Greece.

In and out
2020 – French centre-half Billy Koumetio signed pro terms with the reds, having joined the Academy from Union Sportive Orléans Loiret Football in November 2018. He made his debut in the UEFA Champions League at Midtjylland in December 2020. On the same day, centre-back Morgan Boyes joined Fleetwood Town on loan, playing four times while with the Cod Army.

Blackpool firsts
2003 - Michael Foley-Sheridan played his first senior reds game as we beat Fleetwood Town 6-1 in a friendly at Blackpool’s Broomfield Road ground. John Welsh scored his first goal for the first team, with Milan Baroš nabbing a brace to add to a penalty from El-Hadji Diouf and goals from Bruno Cheyrou and Anthony Le Tallec.

Ex-reds on the move
1996 - Bruce Grobbelaar moved down the south coast, joining Plymouth Argyle from Southampton on a free transfer. He turned out 41 times in his one season at Home Park before joining Oxford United the following season. On the same day, Northern Irish youth forward Davy Larmour left Anfield to join Doncaster Rovers on a free transfer, having been part of the victorious FA Youth Cup winning squad earlier that year. He played 22 times for them without finding the net.
2015 – Chris Kirkland joined Preston North End from Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer, but only played six times in his one campaign at Deepdale.
2016 – Forward David N’Gog signed for Panionios, scoring three times in sixteen games for the Greek side.

2020 – Ex-reds midfielder Adam Phillips re-joined Morecambe on loan from Burnley, netting ten times in 33 outings in this second spell. On the same day, former reds winger Mark Kennedy resigned as Head Coach of Macclesfield Town having rejected a new contract following the club’s relegation from the League due to a points deduction for financial issues.
2013 – Former reserves keeper Alexander Doni retired from playing. He joined the reds on a free transfer from Roma in July 2011 and played four times, as well as sitting on the bench on another 46 occasions. He returned to his native Brazil with Botafogo in January 2013 having apparently suffered a heart attack during a routine medical in the summer of 2012.
2009 – Winger Mark González signed for CSKA Moskva from Real Betis Balompié for €6.5m. He had struck ten times in 44 League games for the Andalusian outfit.
1991 - Former reserves defender Alan Harper rejoined Everton from Manchester City for £200,000. He made 62 appearances in this second spell at Goodison, before moving to Burnley on a free transfer three years later.

Also in international action
2010 – Future red Simon Mignolet featured for Belgium Under-21’s in their 1-0 European Championships qualifying win in France.
2000 – Future red Fábio Aurélio played for Brazil as they beat Chile 3-0 in an unofficial friendly in Florianópolis.
1981 – Future red Glenn Hysén appeared for Sweden as they beat Bulgaria 1-0 in a friendly in Uddevalla.