26th April

Debutants galore
1975 - Jimmy Case made his reds bow in our 3-1 home League win over Queens Park Rangers, when John Toshack netted a brace to add to a Kevin Keegan penalty, with Gerry Francis on target for the visitors. This was our final game of the season, as we ended up in second place behind Derby County.

1965 - Bill Shankly fielded a team of eleven reserves in our League match at Wolverhampton Wanderers, which came only five days before the FA Cup Final. John Sealey scored in his only reds appearance, with Geoff Strong and Alf Arrowsmith also on target as we won 3-1. Full-backs Alan Hignett and Tom Lowry and keeper Billy Molyneux also played their only senior reds games, while left-back Phil Ferns made his 28th and last appearance for the club and inside-left Gordon Wallace played for the 22nd and final time.

1947 - Winger Billy Watkinson scored on his Liverpool debut as we came from behind to win 2-1 at Aston Villa, with Willie Fagan nabbing the other.
1992 - Sami Hyypiä played his first game in the Finnish Premier League, as Myllykosken Pallo-47 won 2-0 at Jazz.
2008 - Jonjo Shelvey became Charlton Athletic’s youngest ever player, aged sixteen years and 59 days. He played the full ninety minutes in their 3-0 Championship defeat at Barnsley.

Ton up for Mo
2019 – Mohamed Salah played his hundredth reds game as we thumped Huddersfield Town 5-0 at Anfield, reaching a club record 69 goals in an opening century of outings. Naby Keïta scored our fastest ever Premiership goal after just fourteen seconds, with Sadio Mané and Salah each bagging a brace.
1924 – Full-back Tommy Lucas and right-half Jock McNab both reached a century of League games for the reds as we beat Notts County at Anfield, with Dick Forshaw netting the only goal of the game.

Youngsters win again
2007 - We retained the FA Youth Cup, to claim it for the third time. Centre-back Robbie Threlfall, who had scored an own goal in the first leg, bagged the only goal of the game at Old Trafford, to wipe out Manchester United’s 2-1 first leg victory. We went on to secure the trophy by winning a penalty shoot-out 4-3, with keeper David Roberts saving one of United’s spot-kicks.

Red endings
2008 - Peter Crouch grabbed his 42nd and final reds goal as we were held to a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City. We had fallen two goals behind to Mikael Forssell and Sebastian Larsson strikes before Crouch and then Yossi Benayoun netted to ensure we qualified for the next season’s Champions League.
1952 – Inside-forward Jack Haigh played his eleventh and last reds game as we ended the season with a 4-0 top-flight thumping at Preston North End, with defender George Whitworth appearing for the ninth and final time. The legendary Tom Finney scored one of his five goals past us, with Charlie Wayman bagging two of his six against us and Angus Morrison netting one of his four.
1902 – Right-back Tom Robertson played his 47th and last reds game as we drew 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers. Walter Whittaker struck one of his six goals against the reds. Johnny Walker scored in his 120th and final reds fame with Sam Raybould having a penalty saved.

Hammerings
2023 – We beat West Ham United 2-1 at the London Stadium, despite falling behind to Lucas Paquetá’s strike. Cody Gakpo soon levelled, with Joël Matip heading in a second-half winner, his eleventh and last goal for the club.
2006 - Luis García and West Ham United’s Hayden Mullins were both sent off at Upton Park, with Mullins becoming the fifteenth opposition player sent off against us that season. Both therefore had to sit out the FA Cup Final two weeks later as a result. Djibril Cissé bagged a brace either side of a Nigel Reo-Coker goal as we won 2-1. The game was preceded by a perfectly observed minute’s silence for former Hammers manager John Lyall, who died the week before.

Four for St. Michael
2003 - Michael Owen bagged four goals, including his hundredth League goal, as we trounced West Bromwich Albion 6-0 at The Hawthorns, our record win over the Baggies. Michael’s fourth goal, our fifth, was our 700th in the Premiership. Milan Baroš added a brace.

Gary’s treble
1986 - Defender Gary Gillespie scored a second-half hat-trick past David Seaman, including a penalty, as we thumped already relegated Birmingham City 5-0 at Anfield. Ian Rush opened the scoring, with Jan Mølby also on target from the spot. Future red Julian Dicks was on the losing side that day. This win kept us on course for our sixteenth League title.

Mark Walters wins the title for Leeds
1992 - Mark Walters scored the decisive second goal that handed the League title to Leeds United, as we beat Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield despite both Nicky Tanner and Ian Rush having to be substituted inside the first half hour. Ian Rush had scored the first, his first ever goal against the Mancs. The Kop crowed “now you’re gonna believe us, you’ll never win the League”, while Ray Houghton played his 200th game for the club while Barry Venison appeared for the 158th and last time.
2002 - Walters joined Bristol Rovers from Swindon Town on a free transfer. He went on to play nearly a hundred times for the Pirates, netting fourteen times.

1941 - We also entertained United, with Cyril Done and Billy Liddell on target in a 2-1 Wartime League victory.

Honoured
2009 - Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were both voted in the PFA Team of the Year, with ex-red Nicolas Anelka and future red Glen Johnson also included. Ex-red Jack Hobbs was named in the League One equivalent.
2015 - Philippe Coutinho was named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Beginning and ends
1971 - Joe Fagan’s son Kit made his second and final senior appearance as we drew 2-2 at Manchester City in the League, Bill Shankly’s 600th game in charge of the reds. Bobby Graham netted both our goals while midfielder Steve Arnold played his second and last reds game with keeper Tommy Lawrence appearing for the 390th and final time. Ian Ross put through his own net, with Steve Carter also on target for the home side. The reds were fined £7,500 for fielding a weakened team, with the match only two days after a League match at Nottingham Forest and just two days before the second leg of our Fairs Cup Semi-final at Leeds United.

Derby joy
1943 - We thumped Everton 4-1 at Anfield with Willie Fagan, Jack Balmer, Cyril Done and Berry Nieuwenhuys netting in this Wartime League fixture.

A happy day
1973 - Roy Evans married Mary at Liverpool’s Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral.
2010 – Ex-red Álvaro Arbeloa’s wife Carlota gave birth to a daughter, Alba.

A double for Quasi
1989 - Peter Beardsley played his first competitive game following the Hillsborough disaster, bagging a brace as England thumped Albania 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley. On the same day, future red Karl-Heinz Riedle netted in West Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Feyenoord. The two players would meet in the World Cup Semi-final the following year. István Kozma won his last cap in his first spell as an Újpest player as Hungary lost a friendly 4-0 in Italy. Also playing in internationals that day were Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton, Ronnie Whelan, future red Dean Saunders and ex-red Kevin Sheedy.
1995 – Kozma represented his country again, as Hungary beat Sweden 1-0 in a Euro 96 qualifier in Budapest.

International beginnings and ends
2000 - Future red Steve Finnan won his first senior cap in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 friendly defeat by Greece at Lansdowne Road, while future reds recruiter Mark Burchill played for Scotland for the sixth and final time as they shared a goalless friendly draw with the Netherlands in Arnhem. Steve Staunton and future red Robbie Keane also played. Dietmar Hamann, ex-red Don Hutchison and future reds Markus Babbel, Igor Bišcan, Jari Litmanen, John Arne Riise, Abel Xavier, Bolo Zenden and Christian Ziege all also featured in friendly action that day.
2017 - Owen Beck won his only Under-15’s cap as Wales were thumped 5-1 by Belgium in Germany.

International goals galore
1995 - Ex-red Steve Staunton netted the only goal of the Republic of Ireland’s European Championships qualifier against Portugal at Lansdowne Road. Phil Babb and ex-red John Aldridge also played, while Ray Houghton won his 63rd cap, and first one as a Crystal Palace player. On the same day, ex-red Dean Saunders was on target as Wales drew 1-1 in Germany as they tried to qualify for Euro ’96. Ian Rush and future reds Markus Babbel and Christian Ziege also played. Future red Patrik Berger scored in his third consecutive game for the Czech Republic as they beat the Netherlands 3-1 in Prague. Also representing their countries in qualifiers that day were future reds Sami Hyypiä, Øyvind Leonhardsen, Jari Litmanen and Gary McAllister, while Roy Hodgson took charge of Switzerland.
2001 – Future red Glen Johnson scored as England Under-16’s beat Hungary 1-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Huddersfield.

Other reds games
1980 – We were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park as we edged closer to our twelfth League title.
1958 – Jimmy Harrower netted as Barnsley drew a Second Division encounter 1-1 at Anfield as Johnny McCann levelled after just a minute, the last of his four goals against the reds. This ensured we ended the campaign in fourth.
1955 – We won a Second Division fixture 3-0 at West Ham United. Eric Anderson bagged a brace, with John Evans also on target.

Rushie the ambassador
2010 – Legendary reds striker Ian Rush was appointed as our Soccer Schools Ambassador.

Walsh and Welsh for England
1941 - Future reds boss Don Welsh scored all of England’s goals as they thumped Wales 4-1 in a Wartime international at the City Ground in Nottingham. Fellow future red Cyril Sidlow was on the losing side.
1983 - Luton Town’s Paul Walsh bagged his first goal for England Under-21’s on his fourth appearance as they beat Hungary 1-0 in a European Championships qualifier at St. James’ Park. Fellow future reds John Barnes and Mark Wright both also played.

Youngsters in action
2001 – Alberto Aquilani played for Italy Under-16’s as they drew 1-1 with Switzerland in the European Championships Finals in Leeds.
2002 – He won his sixth and final Under-18’s cap in a 1-0 defeat of Sweden.

1998 - Milan Baroš made his debut for the Czech Republic Under-17’s as they thumped Austria 5-0 in a tournament in Slovenia. On the same day, fellow future red John Arne Riise made his bow for Norway Under-18’s in their 4-1 defeat by the USA in Slovakia.

On the move
2002 - Rickie Lambert joined Stockport County from Macclesfield Town for £300,000 after ten strikes in 49 games, still the record fee the Silkmen have received.
2016 – Ex-reds First Team Coach Kevin Keen left as Manager of Colchester United by mutual consent, having failed to save them from the drop to League Two.
2023 – Spanish-born centre-half Wellity Lucky signed pro terms with the reds, having joined the Academy at Under-13’s level.

Also in international action
1919 – Ephraim Longworth and ex-red Sam Hardy both played for England as they drew 2-2 with Scotland in a Victory International at Goodison Park.
1993 - Future reds Assistant Manager Christian Damiano managed France Under-16’s as they drew 1-1 with Russia in a European Championships Finals group game in Istanbul.
2015 – Ex-Academy Manager Steve Cooper took charge of England Under-16’s as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Japan at St. George’s Park.