20th August

Happy birthdays
1961 - Steve McMahon was born in Liverpool. He signed from Aston Villa for £350,000 in September 1985 and struck fifty times in 277 reds appearances in his six years at Anfield, during which time he won three League titles, the FA Cup and two FA Charity Shields. He left the reds to sign for Manchester City for £900,000 in December 1991.
2003 – Forward Max Woltman was born in Wirral. He joined the Academy at the age of seven, playing in the FA Youth Cup Final in May 2021 after turning pro the previous January. He signed a new contract in May 2022, making two senior appearances in cup competitions before moving on to Oxford United in August 2023.

1895 – Inside-left Dick Forshaw was born in Preston. He joined the reds in July 1919, winning two League titles while with the reds, scoring an impressive 124 times in 288 games. He has the unique honour of being the only player ever to claim League championship medals with both Merseyside clubs, helping the Blues to one in 1928 after he had crossed Stanley Park for £3,750 in March 1927.
1888 – Forward Harry Welfare was born in Wavertree, Liverpool. He signed from Northern Nomads in 1912, notching once in four outings before moving to Wrexham the following year. He later had a very successful career in Brazil, helping Fluminense to claim the title three times in succession while bagging 163 goals in just 166 games.

Double hola
2004 - We signed a pair of Spaniards. Xabi Alonso arrived from Real Sociedad for £10.7m, with Luis García signing from Barcelona for a £6m fee. Xabi netted nineteen times, showing his silky passing skills in 210 reds games before moving to Real Madrid for £30m in August 2009. García struck thirty times, including five in our glorious Champions League campaign in 2005, in 121 games, before returning to his homeland to join Club Atlético de Madrid in July 2007.
2012 – Slovakian centre-half Martin Škrtel signed a new contract. He arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg for £6.5m to become our most expensive defender to date, notching eighteen goals in 320 games in total, including one in our Carling Cup win at Wembley in February 2012, moving on to Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü for £5.5m in July 2016.

Goalscoring debuts
1977 - Kenny Dalglish scored on his League debut as we drew 1-1 at Middlesbrough, with David Armstrong bagging the first of his four goals past us.
1960 - Winger and new £13,000 record signing Kevin Lewis scored on his debut as we beat Leeds United 2-0 at Anfield in another season opener, with the other goal coming from former blue Dave Hickson.
2016 – Marko Grujić made his senior reds bow as we dominated but lost 2-0 at Burnley, with Sam Vokes and Andre Gray both on target before the break.

Royal victories
2018 - Sadio Mané scored in his third consecutive reds game as we won 2-0 at Crystal Palace, with James Milner handing us the lead from the spot at the very end of the first half. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off for the home side before Mané struck in injury time. Daniel Sturridge played his hundredth League game for the reds.
1994 - We thumped Palace 6-1 at Selhurst Park to get the season off to a great start. Steve McManaman and Ian Rush scored twice apiece, with Jan Mølby and Robbie Fowler also on the scoresheet. Chris Armstrong bagged the home side’s consolation.

Lefties on the way in
2013 – Left-back Aly Cissokho signed on loan from Valencia. The Frenchman played nineteen reds games without scoring.
1894 – Outside-left John Drummond joined from Sheffield United, scoring once in eighteen outings before moving on to Barnsley St. Peter’s the following year.

Mixed fortunes at Wembley
1983 - Joe Fagan’s first game in charge came in the FA Charity Shield, when we lost 2-0 to Manchester United. Michael Robinson made his first-class reds debut in this match while Phil Thompson appeared for the 477th and final time. Bryan Robson bagged both United’s goals, two of his seven strikes against us.
1988 - We gained some revenge on Wimbledon for our FA Cup Final defeat earlier that year, coming from behind to beat them 2-1 thanks to a John Aldridge brace, to claim the Shield for the seventh time outright. Charlie Boyd and Jim Magilton both sat on our bench for the first of just two occasions, while John Fashanu netted one of his six goals against us.

Beating the Gunners
2011 – We beat Arsenal 2-0 in our first ever win at the Emirates Stadium. Emmanuel Frimpong was sent off before Ignasi Miquel’s clearance rebounded off Aaron Ramsey’s chest for an own goal. Luis Suárez then added a second in stoppage time.

The king at Anfield
1966 - A fifteen-year old Kenny Dalglish wore the number eight shirt playing for Liverpool B as they beat Southport 1-0 in a Lancashire League match, five years before he signed professional terms with Celtic. However, he was not taken on by Bill Shankly, returning to Anfield as our record signing eleven years later.

Milan’s farewell
2005 - Milan Baroš played his 108th and final reds game, with Luis García making his fiftieth reds appearance, as Xabi Alonso nabbed the only goal of our Anfield encounter with Sunderland, who had Andy Welsh sent off, the second of fifteen dismissals against the reds that season.
1949 - We also entertained the Mackems, winning 4-2 in a season opener, with Bob Paisley, Jack Balmer, Kevin Baron and Albert Stubbins all on target, with Billy Liddell missing a penalty. Dickie Davis struck one of his seven goals against us, with Ivor Broadis also on target. We went on to finish eighth that season.

The mancs at home at Anfield
1971 - An unusual situation occurred as Manchester United played a home fixture at Anfield. Old Trafford was closed for two weeks due to hooliganism, and so United entertained Arsenal at Anfield. The ‘home’ side won 3-1. Frank McLintock sent the Gunners in ahead at half time, but goals from George Best, Bobby Charlton and Brian Kidd secured United’s victory.

Jan’s debut
1984 - Jan Mølby scored in his first reds game, two days before he officially signed, as we beat Home Farm 3-0 in a friendly held at Tolka Park in Dublin. Ronnie Whelan added a brace, while Ian Rush sustained cartilage damage that kept him out of the first team for two months. The game had been arranged as part of the transfer deal that brought Ken DeMange and Brian Mooney to Anfield.

Double half millennium
1974 – Ian Callaghan played his 500th League game for the reds in our goalless game at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Tommy Smith appearing for the 500th time in all competitions.

Another season opener
1955 - We began our season with a 3-1 Second Division win at Nottingham Forest, with Alan A’Court nabbing a brace and John Evans also netting, as full-back Ray Lambert played his 300th League game for the club. Unfortunately, we ended the season in third, missing out on promotion again.

John departs
1913 – Inside-right John Tosswill was sold to Southend United. He had struck once in eleven outings since signing from Queens Park Rangers in June 1912.

Phil the champion
2011 – Future red Philippe Coutinho won his seventh and final cap for Brazil Under-20’s as they beat Portugal 3-2 after extra time in the World Championship Final in Colombia.

Fifty years for the League
1938 - We lost a friendly 2-1 at Everton. Jack Balmer netted in a game staged to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Football League.

International reds on target
2008 – Xabi Alonso struck twice as Spain beat Daniel Agger’s Denmark 3-0 in a friendly in Copenhagen, with Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres also featuring and Christian Poulsen winning his first cap while with Juventus. Milan Baroš scored while winning his first cap as a Galatasaray player as the Czech Republic drew 2-2 with an England side that included Steven Gerrard, future red Stewart Downing and ex-reds Emile Heskey and David James at Wembley, with future red Joe Cole netting.  Future reds coach John Heitinga won his first cap since moving to Club Atlético de Madrid as the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Russia in a friendly in Moscow. Also in international action were Dirk Kuyt, future reds Ragnar Klavan, Raul Meireles, Nuri Şahin, Luis Suárez and Kolo Touré, and ex-reds Salif Diao, Alou Diarra and John Toshack.

2003 - Michael Owen scored for England as they beat Croatia 3-1 in a friendly at Portman Road. Steven Gerrard, Emile Heskey, Danny Murphy and ex-red David James all also played, with Joe Cole winning his first cap as a Chelsea player. On the same day, Jerzy Dudek, Stéphane Henchoz, ex-red Don Hutchison and future reds Craig Bellamy, Yossi Benayoun, Djibril Cissé, Mark González, Paul Jones, Christian Poulsen and Bolo Zenden all also featured for their countries.

International beginnings and ends
2008 – Andrea Dossena won his first cap as a reds player, only his second to date, as Italy drew 2-2 with Austria in a friendly in Nice, with future red Alberto Aquilani also featuring and Alex Manninger playing for the last time while with Juventus. Meanwhile, Robbie Keane netted while making his first appearance for the Republic of Ireland since moving to Anfield as they drew 1-1 with Norway in Oslo. Steve Finnan won his last cap before leaving the reds, while John Arne Riise played his first international since joining Roma. On the same day, Jari Litmanen won his first cap in his second spell as a Lahti player, playing alongside Sami Hyypiä as Finland beat Yossi Benayoun’s Israel 2-0 in Tampere. Sotirios Kyrgiakos won his first cap while with A.E.K Athens in Greece’s 2-0 friendly win against Martin Škrtel’s Slovakia in Bratislava. Meanwhile, Salif Diao and El-Hadji Diouf both played as Senegal drew a friendly 0-0 in Libya, for the first time since joining Stoke City and Sunderland, respectively.

1997 - Ex-red Lee Jones won his second and final cap, and only one as a Tranmere Rovers player, as Wales lost a World Cup qualifier 6-4 in Turkey. Keeper Paul Jones won his first cap as a Southampton player, while ex-red Dean Saunders netted his last goal while with Nottingham Forest, as he won his 59th cap. On the same day, Christian Ziege won his first cap as an AC Milan player, and Jim Magilton made his last appearance while at Southampton as Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in another qualifier at Windsor Park. Ray Houghton won his seventieth cap, and final one as a Crystal Palace player, as the Republic of Ireland were held to a goalless draw in their World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Lansdowne Road. Mark Kennedy and ex-red Steve Staunton also featured. Meanwhile, future red John Arne Riise won his fourth and last cap for Norway Under-16’s as they lost 3-2 to Sweden. Also in action that day were Stig Inge Bjørnebye and future reds Markus Babbel, Stéphane Henchoz, Jari Litmanen and Vladimír Šmicer.

2002 - Pepe Reina won his first Under-21’s cap as a Villarreal player in Spain’s 1-0 friendly win in Hungary, with fellow future red Xabi Alonso also featuring, and Daniel Sjölund featuring for Finland Under-21’s in their 1-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland.
2003 - Andriy Voronin won his last senior cap while with 1. FSV Mainz 05, and twelfth to date, as the Ukraine lost a friendly 2-0 to Romania in Kyiv. On the same day, Alou Diarra, Anthony Le Tallec, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and future red Charles Itandje all featured as France Under-21’s drew 1-1 in a friendly in Switzerland.
2018 – Future red Harvey Elliott won his only cap for England Under-16’s in their 1-0 defeat of Scotland at St. George’s Park.
2019 – Billy Koumetio made his debut for France Under-18’s as they thumped Paraguay 5-1 in a friendly.

On the move again
2015 – Former Assistant Manager Pako Ayestarán was appointed Club Santos Laguna boss in Mexico, but only remained in charge for three months before his contract was terminated “by mutual consent”.
2011 – Harry Kewell signed for Melbourne Victory, while Nabil El Zhar joined Spanish side Levante U.D. Kewell struck eight times in 25 outings in his one season in southern Australia, while El Zhar scored ten goals in 114 games before rescinding his contract in August 2015.
2010 - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed as a professional for Southampton, going on to score ten goals in 43 outings before moving on to Arsenal in August 2011 for an initial £12m.
2005 - Albert Riera signed for R.C.D. Espanyol from Girondins de Bordeaux, having struck four times in 53 League games for the French side.

1993 – Current Chief Scout Barry Hunter joined Wrexham from Crusaders for £50,000, scoring six goals in 120 games before moving on to Reading in July 1996 for £400,000.
2003 - Future red Jermaine Pennant joined Leeds United on loan from Arsenal. He struck twice in 36 games as the Whites were relegated.
2004 - Ex-reserves defender Alan Navarro joined Chester City on loan from Tranmere Rovers. He played four times for the Blues, and then had another loan spell later in the season, this time with fellow League Two side Macclesfield Town.
2019 – Ex-reds midfielder Kevin MacDonald left Aston Villa’s coaching staff for a second time, this time having been suspended for eight months following allegations of bullying.
2021 – Keeper Andy Lonergan signed for Everton, failing to make a senior appearance in either of his first two campaigns, just as he did in his one season with the reds.

Other reds games
1969 – We won 2-0 at Manchester City with Bobby Graham bagging a brace.
1968 – We beat Stoke City 2-1 at Anfield with Terry Conroy giving the visitors the lead with the first of his four goals past us. Ian Callaghan equalised before Tony Allen turned a Peter Thompson cross into his own net.
1966 – We defeated Leicester City 3-2 in L4 in our opening League game of the season. Roger Hunt and Geoff Strong struck before Derek Dougan netted the first two of his four goals against the reds. Willie Stevenson scored the winner from the spot.

Also in international action
2017 – Bobby Duncan played for England Under-17’s as they beat Scotland 2-1 in a friendly in Burton, with ex-Academy Manager Steve Cooper in charge.
2007 – Future red Christian Benteke featured for Belgium Under-17’s in the World Championships Finals as they lost a group game 4-2 to Tunisia in South Korea.

1989 – Future reds goalkeeping coach Cláudio Taffarel appeared for Brazil as they thumped Venezuela 6-0 in a World Cup qualifier in São Paulo.
1986 – Future red Glenn Hysén played for Sweden in their goalless friendly draw with the USSR in Gothenburg.
1980 – Hysén played for Sweden Under-21’s in their 1-0 friendly victory over Hungary in Budapest.