6th July

In comes Bobby
2015 – Forward Roberto Firmino signed from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for an initial £21m. He netted 111 times in 362 outings, helping us to clinch the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and FA Community Shield, as well as scoring the only goal as we won the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2019. He moved on to Al-Ahli Saudi after eight years at Anfield.

Stevie stays
2005 - Steven Gerrard performed a dramatic u–turn having announced his desire to quit Anfield a day earlier. He signed further new contracts and bagged a total of 186 goals in 710 reds games before moving on to LA Galaxy this summer, helping us to claim the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, three League Cups and the FA Community Shield.

To the World Cup Final
2010 – Dirk Kuyt and future reds coach John Heitinga helped the Netherlands to reach the World Cup Final as they beat Uruguay 3-2 in their Semi-final encounter in Cape Town.

Also on the world stage
2018 – Alisson Becker won his last cap as a Roma player in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Belgium in their World Cup Quarter-final in Russia, with Roberto Firmino and ex-red Philippe Coutinho also in action. Meanwhile, ex-red Luis Suárez also crashed out at the same stage, as France beat Uruguay 2-0.

2007 - Reserves left-back Emiliano Insúa played for Argentina Under-20’s as they beat South Korea 1-0 in the World Championship Finals in Canada, to reach the round of sixteen.
2013 – Suso and future red Javier Manquillo featured as Spain lost 1-0 to Uruguay after extra time to crash out of the same competition at the Quarter-final stage in Turkey.
2016 – Joe Allen won his last cap as a reds player as Wales lost 2-0 to eventual champions Portugal in the European Championships Semi-final in France.

In and out for free
2007 - Ukrainian forward Andriy Voronin signed from Bayer 04 Leverkusen on a free transfer, with Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden departing L4 to join Olympique de Marseille. Voronin netted six times in forty outings in total, being loaned out to Hertha BSC Berlin for a season before returning to L4. He was sold to Dinamo Moskva for £1.8m in January 2010.

Farewell Uncle Joe
2001 - The funeral of Joe Fagan was held. He joined the coaching staff at Anfield in 1958, becoming Assistant Manager under Bob Paisley in 1974, before moving into the hot seat himself nine years later. In his first season as boss, he led the club to a unique treble of League title, European Cup and League Cup. He retired in the aftermath of the Heysel tragedy in May 1985.

Thommo given the boot
1992 - Phil Thompson was sacked as Reserve Team Manager after falling out with Graeme Souness.

Falling at the final hurdle
2021 – Future red Luis Díaz scored as Colombia drew 1-1 with Argentina in their Copa América Semi-final in Brasilia, before losing out on penalties. On the same day, Thiago Alcântara scored in the shoot-out as Spain lost out to Italy at the same stage of the European Championship Finals at Wembley after the match ended 1-1, with future red Federico Chiesa on the winning side.

Another honour for Ged
2002 - Gérard Houllier was presented with his second honour of the week when he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, the French equivalent of a knighthood, at the French Embassy in London.

New contracts
2020 – Harvey Elliott signed as a professional. He had signed from Fulham for a fee eventually set at an initial £1.2m in July 2019, having become the youngest ever to play in both the Premier League and League Cup while with the Cottagers. He netted ten times in 119 reds games across his first five campaigns at Anfield.
2021 – Keeper Harvey Davies turned pro with the reds, so far making it to the first-team bench on eleven occasions. On the same day, ex-reds reserves left-back Joe Maguire signed for Tranmere Rovers, only making six first-team appearances in his one campaign with Rovers.

2011 – Right-back Glen Johnson signed a new contract until 2015. He bagged nine goals in 200 reds games since his £17m capture from Portsmouth in June 2009, leaving the club in the summer of 2015.
2009 – Yossi Benayoun signed a new contract until 2013. He notched 29 times in 134 reds games since signing from West Ham United for £5m in July 2007, moving on to Chelsea for the same fee in July 2010. Meanwhile, it was announced that reserves right-back Stephen Darby and midfielder Jay Spearing had both agreed to sign on until 2012.

Managerial moves
1995 - Ronnie Whelan was appointed Manager of Southend United. He managed two years in the role before departing following their relegation from the First Division.
2011 – Ex-reserves midfielder Jim Magilton took over as Caretaker Assistant Manager of Shamrock Rovers, helping them as they retained their League title that year and reached the group stages of the UEFA Europa League.
2015 – Sean O’Driscoll was appointed Assistant Manager, but left just three months later after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. On the same day, young Spanish forward Luis Alberto returned to his native land, joining Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña on loan after failing to score in twelve games in his one season at Anfield.

Ex-reds on the move
1988 - Ex-reserves defender Alan Harper joined Sheffield Wednesday from Everton for £275,000. He had netted five times in 178 games for the Toffees in this first five-year spell at Goodison.
1995 - Winger Jimmy Carter joined Portsmouth from Arsenal on a free transfer. He went on to make eighty appearances for Pompey, netting six times in his three seasons on the south coast.
2005 – Future reds recruiter Mark Burchill joined Dunfermline Athletic from Heart Of Midlothian, scoring thirty goals in 99 games for the Pars.

2009 - Malcolm Elias was appointed Head of Talent ID and Recruitment at Fulham’s Academy, a month after leaving Melwood, where he had been our Academy Director of Recruitment for three years.
2010 – Argentine centre-half Gabriel Paletta signed for Parma in Italy from Boca Juniors. He has so far netted six times in 131 outings for the Serie A outfit before moving on to AC Milan in February 2015 for €2.5m.
2012 – Future reds scout Jonathan Woodgate re-joined Middlesbrough, after his contract with Stoke City had expired. He struck twice in 61 outings during this second spell on Teesside before retiring in May 2016.

More ins and outs
2000 - Young defender John Boardman signed for Burnley on a one-year deal. A product of the Academy, he had also played in the reserves’ championship winning side but failed to establish himself at Turf Moor.
1908 – Forward Dick Allman signed from Stoke. However, he only made one senior appearance before moving to Wrexham in September 1909.
2004 – Centre-half Lee Jonas was born in Liverpool. He joined the reds at Under-12’s level, having previously been with Everton.

International disappointment
2011 – Ex-red Javier Mascherano featured for Argentina as they were held to a goalless draw by Colombia in the group game in Santa Fe.
2019 – Mohamed Salah was on the losing side as host nation Egypt were knocked out by South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations Finals Round of 16 in Cairo.

More internationals in action
2011 – Ex-red Javier Mascherano featured for Argentina as they were held to a goalless draw by Colombia in a Copa América group game in Santa Fe.
2012 – Conor Coady and Jack Robinson played for England Under-19’s in their 2-1 win over Serbia in a European Championships Finals group game in Estonia. Meanwhile, Suso and future reds Tiago Ilori and Javier Manquillo featured as Spain and Portugal drew 3-3 in the same competition.
2015 – Future red Kostas Tsimikas appeared for host nation Greece Under-19’s as they beat Ukraine 2-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Veria.
2019 – Mohamed Salah was on the losing side as host nation Egypt lost 1-0 to South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations Finals Round of 16 in Cairo.