24th September

Left-back birthdays
1980 - John Arne Riise was born in Molde. He made 348 reds appearances, scoring 31 times, following his £4m arrival from AS Monaco in June 2001, but left for Roma for the same fee in June 2008. He helped us to win the European Cup, FA Cup, League Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and two FA Charity Shields in his time at Anfield.

1979 – Brazilian left-back Fábio Aurélio was born in São Carlos. He arrived on a Bosman free transfer in July 2006, netting four goals in 134 games, helping us to claim the FA Community Shield in his very first senior appearance. He was released for the second time in June 2012.

Jocky on the off
1977 - Alan Hansen made his reds debut as we beat Derby County 1-0 at Anfield, with Terry McDermott on the scoresheet. This was Bob Paisley’s hundredth win as reds boss, which came in his 182nd game as Manager.
1949 - We also beat the Rams in a First Division fixture at home when Kevin Baron, Willie Fagan and Jimmy Payne all struck as we won 3-1, with John Morris bagging one of his seven goals against the reds.

1921 - Harry Beadles debuted as we won 1-0 at Chelsea courtesy of forward Billy Matthews’ fourth and last reds strike.
1904 - Sam Raybould bagged a brace as we won 2-0 at Lincoln City, with defender Tom Chorlton making his reds bow and centre-half Alex Raisbeck playing his 200th game for the club.

Zico sets a record
1983 - Phil Neal made his 417th consecutive reds appearance in our 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, with Frank Stapleton on target. It was also his 365th consecutive League appearance – both still club records. He had to miss the next month after damaging a thigh in this game.
1998 - We also lost at Old Trafford, going down 2-0 thanks to goals from Dennis Irwin and Paul Scholes.

Another record for St. Michael
2003 - Michael Owen scored his 21st goal in European competition, a new club record, to hand us a 1-1 draw at Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana in the opening game of our UEFA Cup campaign. Anton Zlogar’s opening goal was the 250th we conceded under the sole charge of Gérard Houllier. Owen has since been comprehensively overtaken by Steven Gerrard.

Most recently
2023 – We beat West Ham United 3-1 at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah converting a penalty but Jarrod Bowen nodded in before the break. Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota scored in the second half to secure victory.
2020 – Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Rhys Williams all made their reds bows as we thumped Lincoln City 7-2 in a League Cup Third Round tie behind closed doors at the LNER Stadium. Xherdan Shaqiri netted his eighth and final reds goal with Takumi Minamino and Curtis Jones both bagging a brace. Marko Grujić scored his only goal for the club before Divock Origi scored as he captained the side for the first time, after Virgil can Dijk had left the pitch.

2016 – We trounced Hull City 5-1 at Anfield, with Adam Lallana opening the scoring. Ahmed El Mohamadi was sent off for handball with James Milner converting the resultant penalty. Sadio Mané and Philippe Coutinho both struck before Milner scored again from the spot after Daniel Sturridge was felled.
2011 – We beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Anfield. We went two goals ahead when Roger Johnson deflected in a Charlie Adam strike with Luis Suárez also on target, as Steven Fletcher pulled a goal back shortly after the break.

7,500 up
1994 – Ian Rush scored the 7,500th goal in the club’s history as we drew 1-1 at Newcastle United. Rob Lee had opened the scoring shortly after the break, with Philippe Albert dismissed for the home side late on. Ex-reds Peter Beardsley and Barry Venison both featured for the Geordies.

Sent off again
2005 - We drew 2-2 at Birmingham City, with Neil Kilkenny being sent off for the home side on his debut, one of fifteen opposition players dismissed against the reds that season. Our goals came from Luis García and a Djibril Cissé penalty, with Stephen Warnock scoring an own goal and Walter Pandiani also on target.

Off the mark
1892 – Forward John Miller netted on his reds bow as we thumped Bury 4-0 in a Lancashire League game at Anfield. Jonathan Cameron and Malcolm McVean also struck, while James Kelso played his only reds game. Kelso sadly committed suicide aged just 29, back in his native Scotland.
1958 – Outside-right Fred Morris scored his first reds goal as we drew 2-2 in a Second Division match at Brighton & Hove Albion, with Billy Liddell also on target.

Other birthdays
1949 - Former forward, and coach under Graeme Souness, Phil Boersma was born in Kirkby. He signed professional terms in September 1968 and struck thirty times in 120 reds games, although he struggled to get picked in front of Kevin Keegan and John Toshack. He left the club to join Middlesbrough in December 1975 for £72,000.
1912 – Centre-forward Fred Howe was born in Bredbury in Cheshire. He joined on a free transfer from Hyde United in March 1935, netting 36 times in 94 outings before joining Manchester City in June 1938. He bagged three reds trebles, including notching four times in our record 6-0 derby victory at Anfield in September 1935.

1889 - Irish forward Billy Lacey was born in Enniscorthy, Wexford. He signed from Everton alongside centre-forward Tommy Gracie in a swap deal for £300 and winger Harold Uren in February 1912, going on to play 259 times for the reds, including the FA Cup Final in 1914. He helped us to two League titles in the 1920’s, netting 29 times before crossing the Mersey to join New Brighton in June 1924.
1875 - Centre-half Robert Neill was born in Govan, Glasgow. At five feet four inches he is probably our shortest ever central defender, scoring three times in 27 games after signing on loan from Hibernian in April 1895 and then permanently in May 1896. He left to join Rangers in April 1897.

Debuting at Manchester City
1910 - Forward Sam Gilligan scored on his reds debut as we beat City 2-1 at their Hyde Road ground, with Jack Parkinson also on target.
1969 - Phil Boersma made his reds bow on his twentieth birthday in our 3-2 defeat at Maine Road, becoming our first ever League Cup substitute, coming on for goalscorer Alun Evans in this Third Round tie, who bagged an equaliser when George Heslop’s panicked clearance struck him on the chest and went in. Bobby Graham netted our other goal, while Neil Young scored the last of his four goals past us. Ian Bowyer and Mike Doyle also struck for the home side.

Supersub back at Anfield
1985 - David Fairclough played for the visitors as Oldham Athletic lost a League Cup Second Round first leg tie 3-0 at Anfield, our hundredth match in the competition. Steve McMahon bagged a brace, with Ian Rush also on target.

A rare defeat
1974 - Burnley won 1-0 at Anfield, inflicting one of just eleven home League defeats we suffered in the whole of the 1970’s. Full-back Ian Brennan stunned Ray Clemence from thirty yards with his first ever goal for the club.

Signing on
1938 – Utility player Bill Jones signed from Hayfield St Matthews. He scored seventeen times in 277 games for us, with his appearances including the 1950 FA Cup Final when he was preferred to Bob Paisley. Bill won two significant medals in the 1940’s - first he was awarded a Military Medal for his part in the crossing of the Rhine in the Second World War, and then he won a League title medal in 1947 on his return to Anfield. He later scouted for the reds while his grandson Rob represented the club in defence on 243 occasions in the 1990’s.
2021 – Newcastle-born midfielder James McConnell signed pro terms with the reds. He had arrived as an Under-16 from Sunderland. He made nine senior appearances in 2023/24.

Hooper steps in
1988 - Reserves keeper Mike Hooper replaced Bruce Grobbelaar, who had gone down with meningitis, as we won 3-1 at Southampton thanks to goals from John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and Jan Mølby.

Beating the Blues
1898 - Andrew McCowie bagged a brace, including a penalty, as we won 2-1 at Goodison Park. This was our first ever win across Stanley Park.

Harkness on loan
1993 - Steve Harkness joined Second Division Huddersfield Town on loan. He made five appearances for the Terriers before returning to Anfield.
1987 - Reserves midfielder Ken DeMange joined Leeds United. He had never made a senior appearance while on our books, despite winning full international honours during that time.

Double debutants
1924 – Future reds Gordon Hodgson and Arthur Riley won their first caps for South Africa as they beat Ireland 2-1 in Belfast.

More first and last caps
1991 – Bjorn Tore Kvarme debuted for Norway Under-21’s in their 2-0 friendly win in Denmark, with fellow future red Stig Inge Bjørnebye also in action.
2001 - Robbie Foy won his first cap at Under-17’s level in Scotland’s 2-0 friendly win over Wales in Rhyl. On the same day, future red Javier Mascherano featured as Argentina Under-17’s beat Mali 2-1 after extra time to reach the Semi-finals of the World Championships Finals in Trinidad & Tobago.
2007 – Future reds centre-back Danny Wilson won his fourth and final cap for Scotland Under-17’s as they thumped Belarus 5-1 in a European Championships qualifier in Cumbernauld.

2022 – Lee Jonas and Isaac Mabaya both debuted for England Under-19’s, with Oakley Cannonier bagging his first two goals at this level as they thumped Georgia 6-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Denmark. Diogo Jota scored as Portugal won a UEFA Nations League group game 4-0 in the Czech Republic, while Sadio Mané netted from the spot for Senegal while playing for the first time since joining Bayern München in their 2-0 friendly defeat of Bolivia in France. Steven Caulker captained Sierra Leone to a 4-0 friendly defeat in South Africa, his first game for them as a Fatih Karagümrük player. Also in international action were James Balagizi, Conor Bradley, Luke Chambers, Melkamu Frauendorf, Kostas Tsimikas and ex-red Xherdan Shaqiri, with Steve Clarke taking charge of Scotland.

Joey the boss
2001 - Joey Jones was appointed Caretaker Manager of Wrexham, following the departure of Bryan Flynn. He was only in charge for two games, both of which they lost, before ex-Oxford United boss Denis Smith took over.

On the move
1999 - Ray Houghton joined Conference side Stevenage Borough having been released by Reading at the end of the previous season. He only made three appearances, all defeats, in his one season at Broadhall Way.
1990 - Former reserves centre-back Mark Seagraves signed for Bolton Wanderers from Manchester City for £100,000. He made 195 appearances in five seasons at Burnden Park before moving on to Swindon Town.
1984 - Future reds loanee keeper Mark Prudhoe joined Birmingham City from Sunderland for £22,000. He only appeared five times for the Blues, before moving on again to Walsall in February 1986.
2019 – Colombian defender Anderson Arroyo joined Czech side Mladá Boleslav on loan. He joined the reds in February 2018, spending all of his time out on loan to date.

On the move
1999 - Ray Houghton joined Conference side Stevenage Borough having been released by Reading at the end of the previous season. He only made three appearances, all defeats, in his one season at Broadhall Way.
1990 - Former reserves centre-back Mark Seagraves signed for Bolton Wanderers from Manchester City for £100,000. He made 195 appearances in five seasons at Burnden Park before moving on to Swindon Town.

1984 - Future reds loanee keeper Mark Prudhoe joined Birmingham City from Sunderland for £22,000. He only appeared five times for the Blues, before moving on again to Walsall in February 1986.
2019 – Colombian defender Anderson Arroyo joined Czech side Mladá Boleslav on loan. He joined the reds in February 2018, spending all of his time out on loan to date.
2020 - Luis Suárez joined Club Atlético de Madrid from Barcelona, scoring 21 times in 38 appearances as he helped them to the Spanish title in his first season.

Other reds games
1984 – We drew our League Cup Second Round first leg tie 0-0 at Stockport County. We won the second leg but lost at Tottenham Hotspur at the next hurdle.
1966 – Ron Yeats and Roger Hunt netted as we drew 2-2 with Sunderland at Anfield. Neil Martin bagged one of his four goals against the reds, with George Herd netting a late equaliser.
1960 – We won 3-1 at Leyton Orient in a Second Division encounter thanks to goals from Dave Hickson, Alan A’Court and Johnny Morrissey.

1955 – Billy Liddell was on target as Middlesbrough held us to a 1-1 draw in L4.
1938 – We beat Leeds United 3-0 at home with Willie Fagan, Jack Balmer and Phil Taylor all on the scoresheet.
1932 – We lost 1-0 to Bolton Wanderers in L4 with Ray Westwood scoring one of his nine goals past us.
1927 – Dick Edmed struck as we lost 3-1 at West Ham United. Jimmy Ruffell and Stan Earle each bagged the first of their four goals against us, with William Gibbins also on target.

Also in international action
2014 – Future red Dominic Solanke played for England Under-18’s as they lost 2-0 to Italy in a friendly in Caorle.