21st June

Happy birthday Deano
1964 - Dean Saunders was born in Swansea. He scored 25 times in 61 first-team appearances while at Anfield, following his British record £2.9m signing from Derby County in July 1991. He was sold by Graeme Souness after only fourteen months at the club, moving on to Aston Villa for £2.3m, grabbing a brace against the reds on his home debut.

1979 - Michael Edwards was born in Southampton. He joined the reds as Head of Performance and Analysis in 2011, eventually becoming Sporting Director in 2016. He moved on from the club in October 2022, having helped to mastermind a string of successful transfers, both in and out. However, he was reappointed in March 2024 as CEO of Football.
1985 - First Team Lead Rehabilitation Physiotherapist Joe Lewis was born. He joined the Academy a a sports therapist in 2009, moving up to first-team duties seven years later.

Back in action
2020 – We returned to action after the COVID-19 lockdown with a drab goalless draw behind closed doors at Goodison as we headed inexorably towards the League title. Dejan Lovren played for the reds for the 185th and final time.

Making the right mark
1990 - Future red Mark Wright netted his first England goal as they beat Egypt 1-0 in a World Cup group game in Cagliari. John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and Steve McMahon all also played. On the same day, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton, Ronnie Whelan and ex-reds John Aldridge and Kevin Sheedy all featured as the Republic of Ireland held the Netherlands 1-1 in Palermo. These two results were enough to take both England and the Republic through to the Second Round.

Ton for Masch
2014 – Ex-red Javier Mascherano won his hundredth cap for Argentina in their 1-0 defeat of Iran in a World Cup group game in Belo Horizonte.

Also at the World Cup
2006 – Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt faced fellow future reds Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodríguez in a group game in Frankfurt, as the Netherlands and Argentina shared a goalless draw.
2002 - Michael Owen scored as England lost 2-1 to Brazil in the Quarter-final in Shizuoka. His strike partner Emile Heskey also started. Meanwhile, clubmate Dietmar Hamann had a happier day, winning his 44th cap as Germany beat the USA 1-0 to progress to the Semi-final. Ex-reds Christian Ziege and Brad Friedel also featured in this game.

1998 - Future reds Hamann and Ziege both played as Germany were held 2-2 by Yugoslavia in Lens. Both teams went on to progress to the Second Round.
1995 - Ziege also played for his country, alongside fellow future red Markus Babbel in Germany’s 2-0 defeat of Italy in the SFV Centenary Tournament in Zurich.

2018 – Ex-red Javier Mascherano faced Dejan Lovren as Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 in a group game in Russia.
2010 - Raul Meireles bagged his final goal as a Porto player as Portugal thumped South Korea 7-0 in Cape Town. Meanwhile, ex-red Mark González grabbed the only goal of Chile’s meeting with Switzerland in Port Elizabeth.  Fernando Torres and ex-reds Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa played in Spain’s 2-0 defeat of Honduras in Johannesburg.
2013 – Future reds Javier Manquillo and Suso played for Spain Under-20’s as they thumped the USA 4-1 in a World Championship Finals group game in Istanbul.

Reds at Euro 2000
2000 - Vladimír Šmicer bagged his first strikes as a reds player, netting both goals in the Czech Republic’s 2-0 defeat of Denmark in Liège. Patrik Berger won his fortieth cap in the same game. Meanwhile, Stig Inge Bjørnebye won his last cap as a reds player, and 73rd in total, as Norway were held to a goalless draw by Slovenia in Arnhem. On the same day, Sander Westerveld won his fourth full international cap as the Netherlands beat France 3-2 in Amsterdam in their final group game to progress with a 100% record. Nicolas Anelka featured for the French while fellow future red Bolo Zenden bagged his final goal as a Barcelona player.

2008 – Dirk Kuyt featured as the Netherlands lost 3-1 to Russia after extra time in the Quarter-final of Euro 2008 in Basel, with future reds coach John Heitinga winning his last cap as an Ajax player.
2016 – Future red Thiago Alcântara played for Spain as they lost 2-1 to Croatia in a group game in Bordeaux. On the same day, ex-red Javier Mascherano helped Argentina to a 4-0 defeat of the USA in their Copa América Centenario Semi-final in Texas.
2017 – Future red Federico Chiesa featured as Italy Under-21’s lost 3-1 to the Czech Republic in a Finals group game in Poland.

Another record for St. Michael
2004 - Michael Owen equalled the current record for most England caps earned by a reds player, held by Emlyn Hughes, as he won his 59th cap in England’s 4-2 defeat of Croatia in a Euro 2004 group game in Lisbon, although this has since been broken by Steven Gerrard. Gerrard and ex-red David James also played as England qualified for the knock-out phase. Meanwhile, Stéphane Henchoz played as Switzerland lost 3-1 to France in Coimbra.

KHR at the double
1992 - Future red Karl-Heinz Riedle netted a brace as Germany beat host nation Sweden 3-2 in Solna to reach the Final of Euro ’92.

Nabil twice
2008 – Nabil El Zhar scored as Morocco beat Rwanda 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Casablanca.
2005 - He played for the Under-20’s in the World Championships Finals as Morocco beat Japan 1-0 in Enschede to reach the Quarter-final.

Also on target
2001 - Future red Djibril Cissé struck as France Under-20’s drew 2-2 with Paraguay in the World Championship Finals in Argentina. Grégory Vignal also played, while future reds coach John Heitinga appeared as the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Ecuador in the same competition.
2008 – Ex-red El-Hadji Diouf netted as Senegal beat Liberia 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Dakar. On the same day, Rigobert Song won his final cap as a Galatasaray player as they beat Tanzania 2-1 in another qualifier in Yaoundé.

2015 – Future red Roberto Firmino scored for Brazil as they beat Venezuela 2-1 in a Copa América group game in Chile, with Philippe Coutinho also featuring. Meanwhile, Tiago Ilori and future red Danny Ings both represented their countries at Under-21’s level in the European Championships Finals in the Czech Republic.
2021 – Gini Wijnaldum struck his last two goals as a reds player while captaining the Netherlands as they beat North Macedonia 3-0 in a European Championship Finals group game in Amsterdam, with Cody Gakpo debuting and fellow future red Ryan Gravenberch also featuring. Also in international action that day were ex-reds Christian Benteke and Luis Suárez.

Heading off
2022 – Right-back Conor Bradley joined Bolton Wanderers on loan, ending the campaign as Player of the Year as voted for by both the fans and players after seven goals in 53 games. On the same day, midfielder Jordan Rossiter joined to Bristol Rovers from Fleetwood Town, while Tom Ince moved from Stoke City to Reading for free.
2018 – Midfielder Emre Can signed for Juventus on a free transfer, having struck fourteen times in 167 games since arriving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen for £9.75m in July 2014. On the same day, right-back Jon Flanagan joined Rangers for free, after one goal in 51 outings for the reds. Meanwhile, ex-reds right-back Stephen Darby married Steph Houghton.

1924 – Outside-right Harold Wadsworth was sold to Leicester City for £250 after three goals in 55 reds games since signing from Tranmere Rovers in May 1919, often playing alongside his brother, centre-half Walter.
2007 - Reserves midfielder Danny Guthrie agreed to join Bolton Wanderers on loan. He had a successful season at the Reebok Stadium, making 35 first-team appearances before being sold to Newcastle United for £2.25m in July 2008.

Taki’s debut
2011 – Future red Takumi Minamino played for Japan Under-17’s as they drew 1-1 in a World Championships Finals group game in Mexico.

Bad last caps
2012 – Milan Baroš played his 93rd and final senior game for the Czech Republic as they lost 1-0 to ex-red Raul Meireles’ Portugal in the European Championships Finals Quarter-final in Warsaw.
2009 – Andrea Dossena won his final cap while a reds player, putting through his own net as Italy lost a Confederations Cup group game 3-0 to Brazil in Pretoria.

Off to the Olympics
2007 – Future red Alberto Aquilani won his nineteenth and final cap for Italy Under-21’s in a goalless draw with Portugal in the European Championships Finals in Nijmegen that acted as a play-off to reach the Olympics Finals. The Italians triumphed 4-3 on penalties after playing the final quarter of an hour and all of extra time with only ten men after Manchester United’s Giuseppe Rossi was dismissed.

Paul the cockerel
1988 - Paul Stewart joined Tottenham Hotspur from Manchester City for £1.7m. He netted 38 times in 173 games for Spurs, before moving to Anfield for £2.3m in July 1992.

New management
2000 - Paul Jewell was named Manager of Sheffield Wednesday. He was in charge for just eight months, as the Owls struggled in the First Division.
2001 - Roy Hodgson was appointed Manager of Udinese. He was fired after just four months having allegedly stated that he regretted taking the job.

Parry honoured
2003 - Chief Executive Rick Parry was named Business Person of the Year at the Liverpool Daily Post Regional Business Awards.

On the move
2005 - Swiss centre-back Arnaud Bühler, who never actually appeared for the reds, signed for Sochaux-Montbéliard from Aarau.
2012 – Ex-reserves defender Alan Navarro signed for Swindon Town, having been released by Brighton & Hove Albion two months earlier. He struck twice in twenty outings for the Robins before being released at the end of the season.
2013 – Ex-reserves midfielder Jim Magilton was appointed Elite Performance Director for the Irish Football Association. On the same day, centre-half Virgil van Dijk joined Celtic from Groningen for £2.6m, after seven goals in 66 games for the Dutch side.
2021 – Centre-half Sepp van den Berg re-joined Preston North End on loan, netting two times in 48 outings in his second campaign with the Lilywhites.

Also in international action
2023 – Future red Ryan Gravenberch played for the Dutch Under-21’s as they were held to a goalless draw by Belgum in the European Championships Finals in Georgia.
2019 – Mohamed Salah played in Egypt’s 1-0 defeat of Zimbabwe in an Africa Cup of Nations Finals group game in Cairo. Future red Ibrahima Konaté played for France Under-21’s on the same day as they beat Croatia 1-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in San Marino.
2003 – Ex-red Rigobert Song played for Cameroon as they beat Turkey 1-0 in a Confederations Cup group game in Paris.