21st February

Aldo’s debut
1987 - John Aldridge made his reds debut as a substitute for goalscorer Craig Johnston in our 2-2 League draw at Aston Villa, with Paul Walsh bagging his 37th and final reds goal. Villa’s Paul Elliott also struck as Mark Lawrenson put through his own net. Aldo went on to net 63 goals in 104 reds games.
1948 – Right-winger Alex Muir made his reds bow as Middlesbrough won 1-0 in L4 with Micky Fenton bagging the last of his nine goals past us late on.

Another win at Camp Nou
2007 - We came from behind to win 2-1 at Barcelona in the first leg of our Champions League Round of 16 meeting. The game was played in the aftermath of a stormy bonding trip to Portugal, with Craig Bellamy allegedly attacking John Arne Riise with a golf club. Perhaps inevitably, it was these two players who struck our goals, with Bellamy celebrating what was to be the final strike of his first reds spell with an imaginary golf swing! Riise’s winner was our 250th goal in the European Cup. Dirk Kuyt hit the crossbar with the home side’s goalscorer Deco also striking the woodwork for the home side.

The end of a great career
1934 - Legendary keeper Elisha Scott made his 468th and final reds appearance in a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, giving a farewell speech to the crowd from the Directors’ box at the end of the match! His career had spanned an amazing 21 years and 52 days. Hughie Gallacher netted the last of his eight goals against the reds, with Eric Oakton also on target as right-back Willie Steel reached a century of reds outings.
1981 – Avi Cohen played his 24th and final reds game as we drew 2-2 in a League game at Brighton & Hove Albion. David Johnson and Terry McDermott netted our goals, with future red Michael Robinson and Gordon Smith scoring for the Seagulls.

Sami’s record
2006 - Sami Hyypiä made his 57th consecutive European appearance, a club record for an outfield player. Unfortunately, we lost 1-0 at SL Benfica in the first leg of our Champions League round of sixteen tie. This was the fourth time we had faced the Portuguese side in European competition, more than any other club. We set a new European clean sheet club record of 573 minutes before conceding our hundredth goal in the European Cup, when Luisão headed home late on at the Estádio da Luz. Of even greater concern was the serious eye injury suffered by Momo Sissoko in an innocuous challenge with Beto, which fortunately only kept him out for a month in the end.

Kenny steps down
1991 - Kenny Dalglish resigned as reds boss in a board meeting at Anfield. He had been in charge for nearly six years, leading us to the double in his first season, and a further two League titles, FA Cup, two FA Charity Shields and Screen Sport Super Cup. The pressures of management, and his role in counselling players, supporters and the city of Liverpool in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster led to him stepping down.

Hitting the Canaries for six
1979 - We crushed Norwich City 6-0 in the League despite their five-man defence, with both Alan and Ray Kennedy getting on the scoresheet. Kenny Dalglish and David Johnson added a brace apiece.

Bowing out
2013 – We beat Zenit St. Petersburg 3-1 at Anfield in the second leg of our UEFA Europa League Round of 32 tie but crashed out on away goals. Jamie Carragher, playing his 150th and last game in Europe, gifted Hulk the ball who gave the visitors the lead. Luis Suárez struck brilliant free-kicks either side of Joe Allen’s goal, but the final decisive goal did not come. Daniel Agger reached 200 reds appearances in this game.

2023 - Mohamed Salah became the club’s outright all-time top scorer in Europe, bagging his 42nd in continental competition inside a quarter of an hour as we raced into an early two-goal lead over the holders Real Madrid in the first leg of our UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie at Anfield, after Darwin Núñez had opened the scoring. Vinícius Júnior struck twice to level the game at half time, the most recent of his five goals past us. Éder Militão headed in shortly after the break, with Karim Benzema bagging a brace to secure a 5-2 win, two of his seven strikes against us to date.

On our way to Wembley
1988 - A Ray Houghton header saw off Everton at Goodison Park in a live televised FA Cup Fifth Round meeting as we headed towards Wembley yet again. John Barnes debuted his new shaved head in this game!

Signing on
1946 – Welsh keeper Cyril Sidlow signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £4,000. He kept 54 clean sheets in 165 reds outings, helping us to claim the League title in his first full season. He was released in June 1952, joining New Brighton before returning to Molineux.

Farewell Alf
2004 - Former reds keeper Alf Hobson died in County Durham. He only made 28 senior appearances after signing from Shildon Colliery in April 1936, adding a further 171 reds games in Wartime football.

Not on our way to Wembley
1970 - We were knocked out of the FA Cup in the Sixth Round, losing 1-0 at Second Division Watford thanks to Barry Endean’s diving header, in revenge for us knocking them out of the League Cup at Vicarage Road earlier that season. This game prompted Bill Shankly into rebuilding his reds side.

Births and a death
1917 - Full-back Jim Harley was born in Methil, Fife. He failed to score in 131 reds appearances after signing from Hearts Of Beath in April 1934, helping us to the League title in 1947 before leaving the following year.
1990 – Brazilian ex-reserves forward Vitor Flora was born in São Joaquim da Barra. He signed from Botafogo on a free transfer in September 2008, returning to his native land to join to Goiás Esporte Clube in April 2010.

2007 – Centre-half Carter Pinnington was born. Hailing from Wirral, he signed pro terms in May 2024 having been at the Academy since Under-7’s level.
1956 – Chairman Will Harrop died. He had been in that role for six years from 1935, returning to the post in 1953.

Edging towards the Final
1914 - We held West Ham United to a 1-1 draw in an FA Cup Third Round match, with Tom Miller on target and Syd Puddefoot bagging the first of his six strikes past us. We won the replay 5-1 as we eventually reached our first ever FA Cup Final that season.

Beating the Brummies twice in the Cup
Back in the 1920’s we twice knocked Birmingham City out of the FA Cup on this day, both times at Anfield at the Third Round stage.
1920 - Goals from Jackie Sheldon and Tom Miller handed us a 2-0 win, with the latter’s goal being his fiftieth reds strike while Sheldon reached a century of reds outings.
1925 - Archie Rawlings and Danny Shone netted as we won 2-1, with George Briggs nabbing the first of his ten goals against the reds.

2014 – Winger Jordon Ibe joined Birmingham City on loan, netting once in eleven outings.

Beating the Geordies
We have twice defeated Newcastle United in First Division meetings on this day in history.
1976 - Kevin Keegan and Jimmy Case struck as we won 2-0 at Anfield.
1953 - Phil Taylor bagged his 32nd and final reds goal with Sammy Smyth also on the scoresheet in our 2-1 away victory, as Robert Mitchell struck one of his eight goals past us.

Reds on target
1978 - David Fairclough and Terry McDermott were both on target as England B beat their West German counterparts 2-1 in Augsburg. Phil Thompson and future reds Joe Corrigan and Alan Kennedy all also played.
2009 – Tom Ince played for England Under-17’s in the Algarve Tournament as they lost 2-0 to the host nation.
2015 – Ibrahima Konaté scored for France Under-16’s in their 1-1 draw with England in the UEFA U16s Development Tournament in Burton, with England winning 4-3 on penalties. Ex-Academy Manager Steve Cooper taking charge of a side that featured young red Okera Simmonds.

Diarra’s debut
2001 - Future red Alou Diarra made his debut for France Under-20’s as they beat Finland 2-1 in Narbonne.

Thumping the Blades
1942 - We beat Sheffield United 5-1 in a match that counted for both the Wartime League and the War League Cup. Cyril Done and Billy Liddell both netted braces, with Bill Jones also on target for the reds.

On the move
2006 - Mark Wright was appointed as Manager of Chester City for the second time. He had resigned in August 2004 after disagreements with the Board of Directors. He was sacked just fourteen months later, later returning for a third spell.
2015 – Jermaine Pennant signed for Wigan Athletic, scoring three times in thirteen games as they were relegated to League One before choosing to move on at the end of the season.
2021 – Ex-reds scout Jonathan Woodgate was appointed Head Coach of Bournemouth until the end of the campaign, staying in the role until Scott Parker was appointed four months later.

Other reds games
2010 – We drew 0-0 at Manchester City after a dull encounter.
1959 – Huddersfield Town held us to a 2-2 draw in the Second Division at Anfield with Kevin McHale giving the visitors the lead before Jimmy Melia drew us level just before the break. Fred Morris scored late on but there was still time for Dick White to head into his own net.
1931 – We won 2-1 at Leeds United, with Dave Wright and Gordon Hodgson netting either side of the last of Russell Wainscott’s five goals against us.
1900 – We lost 2-1 in an FA Cup Second Round replay at West Bromwich Albion with Archibald Dunn and future red Jack Chadburn on target for the home side. Tommy Robertson scored our goal.

Also in international action
2020 – Kaide Gordon played for England Under-16’s as they beat the USA Under-17’s 4-1 at St. George’s Park.
2018 - Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-19’s as they beat Italy 2-1 in a friendly in Alès.
2017 – Liam Millar played for Canada Under-20’s in their 5-0 CONCACAF Championships group stage mauling by Mexico in Costa Rica.
2016 – Rhian Brewster featured as England Under-16’s beat Italy 1-0 in a friendly at St. George’s Park.

1996 – Future reds Markus Babbel and Christian Ziege both played as Germany won a friendly 2-1 in Portugal.
1993 – Future reds keeper Brad Friedel featured in the USA’s goalless draw with Russia in California.
1990 - Glenn Hysén played in Sweden’s goalless friendly draw in Belgium.
1910 – Alex Raisbeck represented Scotland A as they faced a Scotland B side.