25th February

The start of another treble
2001 - We won the Worthington Cup in the first domestic final to be played outside England, at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. We beat Birmingham City 5-4 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1 to secure Gérard Houllier's first trophy. Who could forget witnessing Jamie Carragher striding forward to bury our fifth spot-kick, before Sander Westerveld saved the decisive penalty from future Blue Andrew Johnson? Robbie Fowler had opened the scoring, before a late Darren Purse penalty took the game into extra time. On the same day, future red Ragnar Klavan played for Estonia Under-17’s with ex-red Rigobert Song featuring for Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier.

On our way to Wembley
1987 - We made it through to the Littlewoods Challenge Cup Final, as the League Cup was then known, by beating Southampton 3-0 in the Semi-final second leg at Anfield. Nigel Spackman made his reds bow, while Ronnie Whelan, Kenny Dalglish and Jan Mølby were all on target in the second half.

A real victory
2009 – Yossi Benayoun headed the only goal of our Champions League round of sixteen first leg match at Real Madrid. On the same day, future red Danny Wilson played for Scotland Under-19’s in their 3-2 friendly defeat in France.

Souey off the mark at Anfield
1978 - Graeme Souness scored his first reds goal in a 3-1 home League win over Manchester United. His stunning left-foot volley was later voted as the BBC’s Goal Of The Season. Ray Kennedy and Jimmy Case netted our other goals.

Stevie passes Alan
2010 – Bruno Fernandes headed Unirea Urziceni in front in our UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg in Bucharest before we came back to win 3-1, with Daniel Agger playing his hundredth reds game. Javier Mascherano equalised with his first reds strike before Ryan Babel put us ahead on the night. Steven Gerrard completed the scoring with his 33rd goal in continental competition to surpass Alan Shearer as Britain’s all-time leading scorer in European football.
2016 – James Milner’s early penalty was enough to secure victory over Augsburg 1907 e. V. in the second leg of our UEFA Europa League Round of 32 tie, as we went all the way to the Final in Basel that season. Portuguese midfielder João Teixeira played his eighth and last reds game.

Naby’s farewell
2023 – Midfielder Naby Keïta made his 129th and last appearance for the club as we were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and the Eagles’ Jean-Philippe Mateta all struck the woodwork.

Management birthdays
1911 - Manager Don Welsh was born in Manchester. He had guested for the reds during the Second World War, and later took charge at Anfield for 232 games over five years during the 1950’s. He has the indignity of being our first Manager to be sacked, in May 1956, after presiding over our relegation from the top flight in 1954, before failing to lead us back to the promised land.
1967 – Former First Team Coach Kevin Keen was born in Amersham. He was appointed in July 2011, joining from West Ham United before moving on in June 2012.

Other reds birthdays
1993 – Reserves centre-half and skipper Conor Coady was born in Liverpool. He made just two senior appearances before being sold to Huddersfield Town for £375,000 in August 2014.
1952 - John McLaughlin was born in Liverpool. The midfielder only made 55 appearances in his six years at Anfield, after signing professional terms on his seventeenth birthday, bagging three goals. His best season came in 1970/71, but a lack of first-team opportunities following injury led to a loan move to Portsmouth during 1975/76 before he moved into non-League football with Barrow.
1925 - Forward Sammy Smyth was born in Belfast. He bagged twenty goals in 44 reds games after signing from Stoke City for £12,000 in December 1952. He returned to his homeland to sign for Bangor City in January 1955.

Anfield trebles
1922 - Dick Forshaw netted a hat-trick in a 4-0 League defeat of Arsenal, with his last goal coming in injury time. Our other strike was a Rob Turnbull own goal, while forward Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers played his hundredth reds game.
1895 - We conceded four goals to Woolwich Arsenal in a friendly at their Manor Ground as we lost 4-3, with Tom Bradshaw, Neil Kerr and Jimmy Ross netting for the reds.
1928 - Legendary striker Dixie Dean grabbed all three Everton goals in a 3-3 League draw at Anfield. Fred Hopkin, Tom Bromilow and Gordon Hodgson netted our goals. On the same day, Elisha Scott played in goal for Northern Ireland as they beat Scotland 1-0 in a British International Championships game in Glasgow.

Zico off target at Anfield
1984 - Phil Neal had a last-minute penalty saved by Queens Park Rangers’ keeper Peter Hucker, the fourth of his last six spot-kicks he had failed to convert. Ian Rush and Michael Robinson were on target in a 2-0 win.

On the move
2007 - The free transfer signing of Andriy Voronin from Bayer 04 Leverkusen was confirmed for the following July. He bagged six goals in forty first-team appearances, but was sold to Dinamo Moskva for £1.8m in January 2010.
1994 – Keeper Mark Gayle joined on loan from Crewe Alexandra. He sat on the bench three times before returning to Gresty Road.
1950 - Defender George Whitworth signed for the reds from Stanton Ironworks. He only ever made nine senior appearances in three years at Anfield.
2013 – Ex-reserves forward Lauri Dalla Valle joined Norwegian side Molde from Fulham, for whom he played four times without notching, moving to Belgium to join Koninklijke Sint-Truidense Voetbalvereniging in July 2013.

Thumping the Hammers on the way to South London
1914 - We beat West Ham United 5-1 at Anfield in an FA Cup Third Round replay as we headed towards our first ever Final, which was to be played at Crystal Palace. Billy Lacey and Tom Miller both grabbed braces, with Arthur Metcalf also on target and Syd Puddefoot bagging the first of his six goals past us.
1956 - We faced the Hammers again, going down 2-0 in a Second Division fixture at Upton Park thanks to own goals from left-half Geoff Twentyman and right-back John Molyneux.

Tons up
1905 – Centre-half Alex Raisbeck played his 200th reds game as Jack Parkinson nabbed the only goal of our Second Division visit to Grimsby Town.
1967 – We drew 2-2 at Fulham with Les Barrett giving the Cottagers a half-time lead. Ian St. John scored his hundredth goal for the club before Geoff Strong put us in front, but we succumbed to a last-minute Ron Yeats own goal.

Jerzy’s Polish bow
1998 - Feyenoord’s Jerzy Dudek made his full international debut for Poland as a substitute in their 2-0 friendly defeat by Israel in Tel-Aviv.

Reds on target for their countries
1998 - Vegard Heggem bagged his only Norway goal while winning his first cap, and only one as a Rosenborg BK player, as they drew 3-3 with France in a friendly in Marseille. Future clubmate Stig Inge Bjørnebye also played, while Auxerre’s Bernard Diomède played for the French.
1981 - Kenny Dalglish netted the only goal of Scotland’s World Cup qualifier in Israel, who included Avi Cohen. Graeme Souness and future red John Wark both also played.
2011 – Future red Samed Yeşil netted as Germany Under-17’s beat England 3-1 in the Algarve Tournament. Keeper Tyrell Belford made his debut at this level, with Jack Dunn, Matty Regan and future red Emre Can all also in action.
2023 - Keyrol Figueroa scored in his fourth consecutive game for the USA Under-17’s as they beat Canada 2-0 in their CONCACAF Championship Finals Semi-final in Guatemala.

Young future reds at Anfield
1981 - Everton’s Steve McMahon won his first England Under-21’s cap, alongside Middlesbrough pair David Hodgson and Craig Johnston, as they beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in a friendly at Anfield. This was Skippy’s second and final cap at this level.

Other reds games
1995 – We came from behind to win 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday thanks to goals from John Barnes and Steve McManaman.
1961 – We beat Lincoln City 2-0 in a Second Division encounter at Anfield with Johnny Morrissey and Kevin Lewis on target.
1950 – Middlesbrough thumped the reds 4-1 at Ayresome Park as Peter McKennan struck either side of an Albert Stubbins header. Alex McCrae and Geoff Walker both struck late on to secure the victory.

1939 – Wolverhampton Wanderers left L4 with a 2-0 victory. Dennis Westcott scored one of his nine goals past us, with Dickie Dorsett bagging one of his four.
1933 – We lost 2-1 at Portsmouth as Sep Rutherford scored either side of Harold Barton’s goal.
1899 – We won 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion in an FA Cup Third Round tie, with Hugh Morgan and Tommy Robertson both netting after the break. We made it as far as the Semi-final that season.

Pepe the dad
2007 - Pepe Reina became a father for the first time, to a girl called Grecia.

Joey’s last as a Robin
1975 - Joey Jones won his third cap for Wales Under-23’s, and last as a Wrexham player, as they beat Scotland 2-0 at the Vetch Field.

Also in international action
1934 - Ex-red Jimmy Kelly played for the Irish Free State as they were held to a 4-4 draw by Belgium in a World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
1970 – Emlyn Hughes featured in England’s 3-1 friendly win in Belgium.
1986 – Ian Rush played as Wales won a friendly 2-1 in Saudi Arabia.
1995 – Future red Haukur Ingi Guðnason featured as Iceland Under-17’s lost 2-0 to the host nation in the Portugal Tournament.
1999 – Future red Milan Baroš played for the Czech Republic Under-18’s in their 2-0 friendly defeat in Greece.