22nd July

Double capture
2016 – Midfielder Gini Wijnaldum signed from Newcastle United for an initial £23m, bagging 22 goals in 237 outings, helping us to claim the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup before joining Paris Saint-Germain in June 2020. On the same day, veteran keeper Alex Manninger arrived from Augsburg on a free transfer, only making it to the bench on four occasions and failing to make a first-team appearance before retiring in May 2017.

Lifting the title at last
2020 – The team was presented with the Premier League trophy after our Anfield encounter with Chelsea ended 5-3 behind closed doors. We went three goals ahead through Naby Keïta, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Gini Wijnaldum, with Olivier Giroud scoring the latest of his eight goals past us in first-half stoppage time. Roberto Firmino then struck before Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic both netted for the visitors. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completed the scoring as we completed three unbeaten League seasons at Anfield.

Births and death
1980 - Dirk Kuyt was born in Katwijk aan Zee in the Netherlands. He signed from Feyenoord for £9m in August 2006, striking 71 times in 285 reds outings, including a goal in the Champions League Final in Athens in 2007, and a treble against Manchester United in March 2011. He moved on to Fenerbahçe SK for €1m in June 2012.
1984 – Stewart Downing was born in Middlesbrough. The England international winger moved to Anfield in July 2011 from Aston Villa for £18.5m, netting seven times in 91 outings before moving to West Ham United for £6m in August 2013, as well as scoring in the shoot-out as we claimed the Carling Cup at Wembley in February 2012.

2022 – Former Chairman David Moores died. He had held the role from 1991 until 2007, when he took on the title of Honorary Life President.
1900 – Scottish wing-half Robert Ireland was born in Darvel in Ayrshire. He signed from Rangers in November 1929, but only made one senior appearance before joining St. Johnstone in July 1931.

Take a walk around him
1961 - Bill Shankly signed Ron Yeats from Dundee United for £22,000. He was the rock at the centre of our defence for 454 games across a decade, netting sixteen times as he helped us to our first ever FA Cup, two League titles, a Second Division championship and the FA Charity Shield. He then moved into management with Tranmere Rovers, but returned to Anfield in 1986, spending the next sixteen years as Chief Scout.

Christian arrival
2015 – Centre-forward Christian Benteke signed from Aston Villa for £32.5m, bagging ten goals in 42 outings and featuring in the UEFA Europa League Final in Basel. He moved on to Crystal Palace for £27m in August 2016.

Willkommen Didi
1998 - Dietmar Hamann signed from Newcastle United for £8m, becoming the second most expensive German to be transferred to that point, behind Oliver Bierhoff’s £13.5m move from Udinese to AC Milan. He made 283 first-team appearances, in which he acted as a sturdy bulwark in front of the defence, scoring just eleven times. He helped us to claim the European Cup, UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, two League Cups and the FA Charity Shield. However, he joined Manchester City in July 2006, after an aborted move to Bolton Wanderers.

In comes Mark
2005 - Mark González officially joined on loan from Albacete Balompié, subject to international clearance. He actually signed permanently three months later, but his work permit was not granted until the following summer. He struck three times in 36 games, before moving to Real Betis Balompié for £4.2m in July 2007.
2006 - He made his first-team bow, with fellow debutant Craig Lindfield bagging the only goal of the game at Crewe Alexandra. Fábio Aurélio also played for the first time.

2009 - Cameroon-born centre-back Stephen Sama signed from Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund. He moved on to VfB Stuttgart in September 2014 having failed to make a senior appearance.

Emiliano the world champion
2007 - Emiliano Insúa helped Argentina Under-20’s to win the World Championships as they beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the Final in Toronto.

Claiming another trophy
2017 – Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho netted as we beat Leicester City 2-1 in the Final of the Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong.

Most recently
2018 – We lost 3-1 to Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund in an International Champions Cup game in the USA, with Virgil van Dijk heading us into the lead. On the same day, young winger Ryan Kent joined Rangers on loan, scoring six times in 43 games and winning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award.

Mad Erik makes his bow
1999 - Dutch striker Erik Meijer made his first appearance for the reds as we beat Linfield 4-0 in the Carlsberg Belfast Challenge at Windsor Park. Danny Murphy and Patrik Berger both netted, while the scoring was completed by a Gary Porter own goal and a Jamie Redknapp penalty.

God’s trinity
1993 - Robbie Fowler bagged a hat-trick as England Under-18’s thumped Spain 5-1 in a European Championship Finals group game in Walsall.
2002 – Jon Otsemobor, John Welsh and future reds Glen Johnson, Gary O’Neil and Jermaine Pennant all played for England Under-19’s in their 3-3 draw with Germany in the same competition in Norway. Meanwhile, Michael Foley-Sheridan appeared for the Republic of Ireland as they defeated Belgium 2-1.

First and last outings
2009 – Álvaro Arbeloa played his final reds game before moving on to Real Madrid as we were held to a 1-1 draw by the Thailand national side in the Rajamangala National Stadium. Ryan Babel bagged our goal.
2000 - We were beaten 1-0 by Second Division Stoke City at their Britannia Stadium. This was the first time that Pegguy Arphexad, Gary McAllister and Bernard Diomède had appeared for the reds.

Andriy misses
2008 – Andriy Voronin missed a penalty for the reds against his future employers as we were held to a goalless draw by Hertha BSC Berlin at the Olympiastadion.

Stig debuts
1986 – Future red Stig Inge Bjørnebye made his bow for Norway Under-16’s in their goalless draw with East Germany in a tournament in Hungary.
1988 – Bjørnebye debuted at Under-18’s level in their 4-2 defeat to Italy in the Czech Republic.

Sander back in England
2005 - Sander Westerveld joined Portsmouth on a free transfer from Real Sociedad. He only played seven senior games for Pompey and is currently coaching for Ajax Cape Town in South Africa.

Youngsters moving on
2014 – Defender Andre Wisdom moved to West Bromwich Albion for the season, playing 26 times for the Baggies. On the same day, future loanee centre-half Steven Caulker joined Queens Park Rangers form Cardiff City after five goals in 39 games for the Bluebirds.
2013 – Conor Coady joined Sheffield United on loan, netting six times in fifty outings as the Blades just missed out on the play-offs.
1999 – Another local midfielder Jamie Cassidy left Anfield for Cambridge United on a free transfer. He had been unable to break into the first team on L4, although he had featured in our victorious FA Youth Cup campaign in 1996 and did not do much better at the Abbey Stadium, only making ten first-team appearances before moving on to Northwich Victoria.

2019 – Ex-reds midfielder Charlie Adam signed for Reading, netting twice in 27 games in his one campaign with the Royals. On the same day, Abel Xavier was sacked as Manager of Mozambique, having been in charge since February 2016.
2023 – Forward Layton Stewart left the reds to join Preston North End, failing to score in sixteen first-team outings in his first campaign at Deepdale. On the same day, ex-reds loanee Arthur Melo joined Fiorentina on loan from Juventus, scoring twice in 48 games as they reached the UEFA Conference League Final.

Mannix banned
2009 – Ex-reds reserves midfielder David Mannix was banned for ten months and fined £4,000 for breaching the FA’s betting rules. He was convicted of having bet approximately £4,000 on Accrington Stanley losing against Bury in May 2008.

Also in international action
1995 – Future red Øyvind Leonhardsen appeared for Norway as they held France to a goalless draw in their friendly encounter in Oslo.
2014 – Future red Marko Grujić featured as Croatia Under-19’s drew 2-2 with Germany in a European Championship Finals group game in Hungary.
2017 – Ex-red Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-19’s as they drew 1-1 with Haiti.
2021 – Future red Alexis Mac Allister played for Argentina Under-23’s as they lost 2-0 to Australia in the Olympics in Japan, while Wataru Endō played for the host nation in their 1-0 defeat of South Korea in Tokyo.