7th June

Happy birthday Saint
1938 - Ian St. John was born in Motherwell. He joined from his hometown club in May 1961 for a then club record fee of £37,500. The Saint scored 118 goals in 425 games for the reds, including the winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup Final and also helped us to win two First Division titles, the Second Division and FA Charity Shield, before moving to South Africa in February 1971 to join Hellenic.

1988 – Former reserves centre-half Godwin Antwi was born in Kumasi in Ghana. He appeared in our victorious FA Youth Cup campaign in 2006 but spent most of his time out on loan. He was released in June 2009 and was last seen playing for Melaka United in Malaysia.
1936 – Left-winger Ron Smith was born in Liverpool. He signed amateur terms in 1955, turning professional two years later. However, he moved on to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in 1959, having failed to break through to the first team.

In comes Tommy
1956 – Scottish keeper Tommy Younger signed from Hibernian for £9,000. He made 127 reds appearances, as well as winning 24 caps for Scotland. He returned north of the border after three years at Anfield to join Falkirk, and later became the President of the Scottish FA. He died in January 1984.

Red trebles
1922 - Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers bagged a hat-trick as we beat Genoa 4-1 in a friendly at their Stadio di Marassi. Dick Forshaw nabbed the other.
1953 - Billy Liddell netted a treble as we beat a Chicago All Stars side 4-2 at Soldier Field, with Kevin Baron also on target.

Disaster strikes for Djibril again
2006 - Djibril Cissé broke his leg while winning his thirtieth cap in France’s 3-1 friendly defeat of China in Saint-Étienne. Xabi Alonso, Luis García, Harry Kewell and Pepe Reina all also featured in friendlies that day, with future red Fernando Torres on target in Spain’s 2-1 defeat of Croatia in Geneva.
2017 – Ex-reds Iago Aspas, Sebastián Coates and Pepe Reina all featured in international friendlies.
2019 – Aspas played for Spain again in their 4-1 European Championships qualifying win in the Faroe Islands. Ex-reds Nikolay Mihaylov and Brad Smith were also in international action that day.

Lancs champs again
1947 – We claimed the Lancashire Senior Cup for the seventh time by beating Bury 2-1 at Anfield in the Final. Albert Stubbins and Jack Balmer struck our goals.

On the move
2013 – Hungarian keeper Péter Gulácsi joined Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg on a free transfer. He had sat on the reds bench on 51 occasions without making a senior appearance.
2002 - Nicolas Anelka joined Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain for £13m. He struck 46 times in 103 games for City before joining Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü for £7m in January 2005.

Christian milestones
2000 - Future red Christian Ziege won his fiftieth cap in Germany’s 8-2 trouncing of Liechtenstein in a friendly in Freiburg im Breisgau. Dietmar Hamann and future red Markus Babbel both also played. On the same day, Alberto Aquilani played for Italy Under-15’s as they lost 2-0 to Argentina.
1997 - Ziege won his last cap as a Bayern München player, and 31st to date, as the Germans were held to a goalless draw in a World Cup qualifier in the Ukraine. On the same day, future red Paul Ince featured in England’s 1-0 defeat of France in Le Tournoi in Montpellier, while fellow future red Alex Manninger played in a 3-1 win for Austria Under-21’s in a European Championships qualifying win in Latvia and Vegard Heggem featuring as Norway lost a qualifier 2-0 in Hungary.

New contracts
2007 - Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina both signed new contracts until 2012. Reina was sold to Bayern München for £2m in August 2014 after 394 first-team outings, while Alonso moved to Real Madrid for £30m five years earlier after nineteen goals in 210 games.
2018 – Ovie Ejaria signed a new contract, joining Rangers on loan on the same day. He netted twice in 28 games for the Gers.
2022 – Polish keeper Fabian Mrozek signed a new contract, having joined the Academy in August 2020, turning pro eleven months later. He has made it onto the first-team bench on six occasions so far.

Final caps
2003 - Ex-red Øyvind Leonhardsen won his 86th and final cap as Norway lost 1-0 to Denmark in a European Championships qualifier in Copenhagen. John Arne Riise also played. Stéphane Henchoz and future reds Yossi Benayoun, Fernando Morientes, Andriy Voronin and Bolo Zenden all also represented their countries that day.

2013 - Lazar Marković won his last cap as a Partizan player in Serbia’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat by Belgium in Brussels, with ex-red Christian Benteke also in action.
2015 - James Milner played for England for the last time while with Manchester City as England were held to a goalless draw by the Republic of Ireland in a friendly in Dublin, with Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling all also featuring for Roy Hodgson’s side. Christian Benteke won his last cap while with Aston Villa in Belgium’s 4-3 friendly win in France.

Coaching moves
2012 – Following the sacking of boss Kenny Dalglish, the departures of Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen as First Team Coaches were announced. They had been at the club for seventeen and eleven months, respectively.
2016 – Ex-reds coach Paco Herrera was appointed Manager of Real Valladolid, remaining in charge for a year.

2021 – Keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joined Valencia on loan from Dinamo Tbilisi in his native Georgia, later making the move permanent. He played 103 times before signing on with the reds in August 2024, but was immediately loaned back to los ches.

Recent international goals
2022 - Sadio Mané scored from the spot while winning his last cap as a reds player as Senegal beat Rwanda 1-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Dakar. Fulham's Fábio Carvalho was on target while playing for Portugal Under-21’s for the final time as they thrashed Liechtenstein 9-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Vaduz, while Sepp van den Berg netted for the Netherlands at the same level for the first time as they thumped Gibraltar 6-0 in a qualifier in Almere. Curtis Jones, future red Dominik Szoboszlai and ex-reds Ozan Kabak and Raheem Sterling also played for their countries that day.
2021 – Takumi Minamino struck in Japan’s 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat of Tajikistan in Suita, so scoring in his third straight game for his country. Meanwhile, Marko Grujic and ex-red Emre Can both featured in friendlies.
2018 – Future red Ozan Kabak converted a spot-kick for Turkey Under-18’s as they thumped Hungary 4-1 in a friendly.
2015 - Lazar Markovic scored in Serbia’s 4-1 friendly defeat of Azerbaijan in Austria, while Philippe Coutinho struck his first senior international goal as Brazil beat Mexico 2-0 in Sao Paulo, with future red Roberto Firmino also in action, as AS Monaco’s Fabinho made his senior bow.

2014 – Ex-red Victor Moses netted as Nigeria lost 2-1 to the USA in a friendly in Florida. Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson, Rickie Lambert, Daniel Sturridge and future red Adam Lallana all featured for Roy Hodgson’s England as they were held to a goalless draw by Honduras in the same state. Also in international action that day were future reds Ragnar Klavan, Joël Matip and Divock Origi, and ex-reds Xabi Alonso, Robbie Keane, Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodríguez.
2013 – Ex-red Robbie Keane grabbed a treble as the Republic of Ireland beat the Faroe Islands 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Dublin. On the same day, reserves forward Krisztián Adorján struck for Hungary Under-21’s in their 2-1 European Championships qualifying defeat of Albania. Also in World Cup action that day were future red Mario Balotelli and ex-reds Alberto Aquilani, Alexander Kacaniklic, Javier Mascherano and Raul Meireles, with future reds coach John Heitinga featuring in a friendly.
2011 – Ex-red Xabi Alonso netted in Spain’s 3-0 friendly win in Venezuela, with ex-red Fernando Torres also in action.

2008 – Future red Raul Meireles bagged his first senior international goal as Portugal beat Turkey 2-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Geneva.
2003 - Sami Hyypiä was on target as Finland beat Serbia & Montenegro 3-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Helsinki. Ex-red Jari Litmanen also played. On the same day, El-Hadji Diouf netted as Senegal beat Gambia 3-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Dakar, with Salif Diao also in the side. Meanwhile, future red Robbie Keane scored his first goal as a Tottenham Hotspur player in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 Euro 2004 qualifying defeat of Albania.
2002 - Future red Fernando Morientes bagged a brace as Spain beat Paraguay 3-1 in a World Cup Finals group game in South Korea. Meanwhile, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen both featured in England’s 1-0 defeat of Argentina in Japan, with Owen winning the penalty from which England scored.

Stan from a corner
1992 - Ex-red Steve Staunton scored for the Republic of Ireland direct from a corner as they beat Portugal 2-0 in the US Cup in Boston. Ray Houghton and ex-red John Aldridge both also featured. This was Stan’s first strike in his first spell as an Aston Villa player, and he also converted direct from a corner against Northern Ireland at Lansdowne Road ten months later! Ray Houghton was appearing for the last time as a red.

King Kenny on target
1979 - Kenny Dalglish struck in Scotland’s 4-0 thumping of Norway in a European Championships qualifier in Oslo. Future red John Wark was also in the side.
1978 - Dalglish also turned out as the Scots were held to a 1-1 draw by Iran in a World Cup Finals fixture in Argentina. In the process he became his country’s most capped player with 56, going on to play 102 times in total, still a record. Future reds Joe Corrigan and Alan Kennedy appeared for England B on the same day as they won 4-0 in New Zealand.

Thumped at Deepdale
1941 - We were beaten 6-1 at Preston North End in a Wartime League game with Thomas Lyon bagging our consolation in his only ever guest appearance for the reds.

First and last caps
2018 – Trent Alexander-Arnold made his senior England debut in their 2-0 friendly defeat of Costa Rica at Elland Road, with Jordan Henderson also in action. Liam Millar played for Canada Under-23’s on the same day, with ex-red Carl Medjani winning his 62nd and last cap for Algeria in a 3-0 defeat by Portugal in Lisbon.
2016 – Brad Smith won his last cap as a reds player in Australia’s 2-1 defeat by Greece in Sydney. On the same day, future reds Thiago Alcântara and Mikel San José both played as Spain lost 1-0 to Georgia in a friendly in Getafe, with fellow future red Wataru Endō also playing for his country.
2011 - John Arne Riise won his last cap as a Roma player in their 1-0 friendly victory over Lithuania in Oslo, with Krisztián Németh playing his final game for Hungary as an Olympiacos player as they won 3-0 in San Marino in a European Championships qualifier. Lucas Leiva was also in international action that day.

1972 - Kevin Keegan and Larry Lloyd both won their final England Under-23’s caps as they held the USSR to a goalless draw in Kyiv.
1997 – Future reds reserve Haukur Ingi Gudnason made his debut for Iceland Under-21’s in their 1-1 European Championships qualifying draw in FYR Macedonia.
1995 - Dean Saunders won his last cap as an Aston Villa player, and 49th in total. Wales were beaten 1-0 in Cardiff by Georgia in a Euro ‘96 qualifier, with Ian Rush also playing. Ex-red Jim Magilton and future reds Markus Babbel and Patrik Berger also won international caps that day.
1992 - Saunders also played for his country as they won a friendly in Japan 1-0.

Tony on a run
1969 - Ex-red Tony Hateley scored in the third of all seven games of an FA Tour as England thumped a New Zealand Squad XI 5-0 in Hamilton. He netted a total of seventeen goals on the tour.

World Cup reds
2008 – Harry Kewell skippered Australia as they lost 1-0 to Iraq in a World Cup qualifier in Dubai. Meanwhile, Nabil El Zhar won his third cap as he appeared from the bench as Morocco won 4-1 in Mauritania.

Digger’s last game
2009 – John Barnes took charge of his last game as Manager of Jamaica as they beat Panama 3-2 in a friendly in Kingston. Meanwhile, ex-red Rigobert Song captained Cameroon in their goalless World Cup qualifier against Morocco in Yaoundé, with future reds Oussama Assaidi and Kolo Touré also in action for their countries that day.

In Toulon
A host of other reds have played in the Under-21’s Toulon Tournament on this day in history.
1994 – Dominic Matteo and Jamie Redknapp both featured in a 2-0 defeat of Portugal in the Final.
1993 – Redknapp played in another 2-0 victory over Portugal alongside future reds Academy coach Mike Sheron.
1989 – Future red Neil Ruddock played in a 6-1 thumping of Senegal. John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and Steve McMahon all featured for the senior England side that day as they drew a friendly 1-1 in Denmark.
1988 – Future red Michael Thomas was in action as England beat the USSR 1-0.

2009 – Gerardo Bruna played for Argentina Under-20’s as they drew 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates, winning his only cap at this level. Meanwhile, future red Christian Benteke scored twice as Belgium Under-19’s thumped Sweden in a friendly in Genk.

Carra honoured
2011 - Jamie Carragher was named Philanthropist of the Year at the Spirit of Merseyside Awards at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, for his charity work with the 23 Foundation.
2018 – Future reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch received the first ever Abdelhak Nouri Trophy, which recognises the best talent in the Ajax academy.

Family changes
2014 – Joe Allen married Lacey-Jo Hughes, while young Spanish forward Luis Alberto was wed to Patricia Venegas.
2012 - Maxi Rodríguez became a father to his second daughter, Aitana.
2008 – Future red Robbie Keane married Claudine Palmer in Ballybrack, South Dublin.
2002 - Grégory Vignal became a father as his girlfriend Naomi gave birth to a girl called Lorenza.

Also in international action
1941 – Future reds boss Don Welsh played as England beat Wales 3-2 in a Wartime International.
1990 – Future reds Stig Inge Bjørnebye and Øyvind Leonhardsen both featured as Norway Under-21’s were beaten 3-2 by Denmark in Larvik.
2001 – Future red Nicolas Anelka played for France as they beat Brazil 2-1 in their Confederations Cup Semi-final in South Korea. On the same day, ex-reds keeper Brad Friedel featured in the USA’s goalless draw with Ecuador in Ohio.
2010 – Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and ex-reds Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey and Stephen Warnock all featured as England beat Platinum Stars 3-0 in an unofficial match in South Africa.