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Showing results for tags 'Jari Litmanen'.
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Transfer deadline day drama 2011 – We broke our record transfer twice in the same day, first when Luis Suárez arrived from Ajax for a fee of £22.8m. We then signed Andy Carroll for a British record £35m, with Fernando Torres then joining Chelsea for £50m, another British record. On the same day, left-back Paul Konchesky joined Nottingham Forest on loan while young midfielder Conor Thomas arrived from Coventry City on a temporary basis, although the move was not made permanent. Meanwhile, El-Hadji Diouf joined Rangers on loan from Blackburn Rovers and Daniel Sturridge joined Bolton Wande -
Striking legends arrive 1987 - John Aldridge signed from Oxford United for £750,000. He helped us to win the League title in 1988 and the FA Cup the following season, bagging 63 goals in 104 games before moving to Spain to join Real Sociedad for £1.1m in September 1989, becoming their first non-Basque player. 2006 - Robbie Fowler re-signed on a free transfer from Manchester City after three years with the Blues. He grabbed twelve goals in 39 outings in this second spell, but was released after two seasons, signing on with Cardiff City in July 2007. 1920 – Centre-forward Dick Johnson j -
Souey on his way out 1994 - Graeme Souness took charge of his final game as Manager as we were humbled at home by First Division Bristol City, who won an FA Cup Third Round replay 1-0 thanks to Brian Tinnion’s second-half goal. Heading to finals 2005 - Steven Gerrard grabbed the only goal of our Carling Cup Semi-final second leg at Watford, with Igor Bišcan playing his hundredth reds game. Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on as a substitute for Milan Baroš and was later himself substituted just four minutes later having damaged a cartilage in his knee. 2012 – We drew 2-2 with Manchester -
Happy birthday Thommo 1954 - Phil Thompson was born in Liverpool. He notched thirteen times in 477 games for the reds, many as skipper, as we won two European Cups, seven League titles, the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, two League Cups and five FA Charity Shields. He later had two separate spells on the backroom staff, under Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Gérard Houllier, and is now working in the media. 1906 - Forward Harry Barkas was born in Wardley Colliery. He only played five reds games, all in the First Division, after arriving for £1,500 from Gateshead in December 1930, r -
Happy birthday Quasi 1961 - Peter Beardsley was born in Newcastle. He arrived at Anfield from Newcastle United for a British record £1.9m fee in July 1987, winning two League titles, an FA Cup and two FA Charity Shields, scoring 59 times in 175 games. He was controversially sold by Graeme Souness to Everton for £1m in August 1991. 2002 – Dutch defender Ki-Jana Hoever was born in Amsterdam. He joined from Ajax in the summer of 2018, signing his first professional contract in July 2019. He scored once in four senior appearances before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers for an initial £9m l -
Sam’s bow 1900 - Forward Sam Raybould made his reds debut as a Hugh Morgan brace condemned West Bromwich Albion to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield. He went on to net 130 times in 226 reds games, becoming the first player to bag a hundred League goals for the club. Arrivals from Spain 2010 – Winger Maxi Rodríguez signed for free from Club Atlético de Madrid. He bagged seventeen goals in 73 reds outings before returning to Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina in July 2012. 2005 - Fernando Morientes signed from Real Madrid for £6.3m. He netted just twelve goals in 61 reds games, helpin -
Birth of a legend 1922 - Billy Liddell was born in Townhill, Dunfermline. He joined the reds in July 1938 while still only sixteen, and left the club 23 years later, having struck 228 times in 534 games. His only club honour was the League title in 1947, although he also played in the FA Cup Final three years later. He was on target on his 26th birthday as we beat Nottingham Forest 4-1 in the Third Round of the FA Cup, with Albert Stubbins grabbing a brace and Bob Priday also on the scoresheet. In comes Souey 1978 - Graeme Souness signed from Middlesbrough for £352,000 after 22 goals -
In comes Jari 2001 - Jari Litmanen finally signed from Barcelona on a free transfer, having turned us down prior to his move to the Catalan giants. He bagged nine goals in 43 reds games in his nineteen months on Merseyside before returning to his spiritual home at Ajax in August 2002. Happy birthday James 1986 - James Milner was born in Wortley, Leeds. The midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City in July 2015, so far netting 26 times in 229 outings as well as regularly skippering the side in the absence of Jordan Henderson and helping us to claim the Premier League t -
A rare treble for the King 1982 - Kenny Dalglish scored a hat-trick as we beat Manchester City 5-2 at Anfield, with Phil Neal and Ian Rush adding the others. In fact, King Kenny only ever bagged two League trebles for the reds, with both coming against the side from Maine Road. 1975 - We also entertained City, with midfielder Peter Cormack nabbing the only goal of the game in his 178th and final reds appearance. Happy birthdays 1947 - Doug Livermore was born in Liverpool. He signed pro terms in November 1965 after starting out with Bolton Wanderers, making just eighteen appearances -
Nic’s debut 2001 - Nicolas Anelka made his red bow as we won 2-1 at Aston Villa with goals from Jari Litmanen, gifted to him by Peter Schmeichel, and Vladimír Šmicer. Jari also struck a spot-kick against the post. Bowyer off again 2005 - We equalled a club record of eight consecutive League wins with our 2-0 defeat of Newcastle United, our 250th victory in the Premier League, a sequence that eventually rose to ten. Josemi came off the bench late on to make his 35th and final reds appearance, with Michael Owen making his first return to Anfield as an ex-red while Lee Bowyer was sent of -
God’s treble 1995 - Robbie Fowler bagged a hat-trick as we came from behind to beat Arsenal 3-1 at Anfield, in what was boss Roy Evans’ hundredth game in charge. Ian Wright had put the visitors ahead from the spot with one of his seven strikes against the reds. 2000 - We again faced the Gunners at home, with strikes from Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Nick Barmby and substitute Fowler giving us a comprehensive 4-0 win. A Milanese arrival 2001 - Milan Baroš officially completed his signing from Baník Ostrava for £3.2m. He grabbed a total of 27 goals in 108 reds games, helping us to cl -
Champions of the world 2019 – Roberto Firmino struck the only goal of the FIFA Club World Cup Final in Qatar as we beat Flamengo 1-0 after extra time. We had had an injury-time penalty award overruled by VAR. Macca’s farewell and hello 1991 - Steve McMahon played his 277th and final reds game as we drew 2-2 at home with Manchester City, whom he was shortly to join, as was widely known at the time. Dean Saunders and Steve Nicol scored our goals, with David White netting two of his five goals past us, having already also bagged a brace in the reverse fixture earlier that season. Lu -
Shanks in charge 1959 - Bill Shankly took over as Manager, thirteen days after his appointment was announced. Words cannot fully explain his importance to the history of Liverpool Football Club, but his honours as reds boss included three League titles, two FA Cups, the UEFA Cup and the Second Division championship. Happy birthdays 1979 - Michael Owen was born in Chester. He struck 158 times in 297 games for us, moving on to Real Madrid in August 2004 for £8m after seven years’ great service to the reds, having helped us to claim the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, League Cup and FA -
Crouchie off the mark 2005 - Peter Crouch finally scored his first goals for the club after eighteen goalless outings with a brace in our 3-0 defeat of Wigan Athletic at Anfield, our first ever League encounter with the Latics. Luis García completed the scoring. Happy birthday Christian 1990 – Centre-forward Christian Benteke was born in Kinshasa in Zaire. The Belgian international signed from Aston Villa for £32.5m in July 2015, 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. A humblin -
New bosses 1959 - Bill Shankly was appointed reds boss, with the intention that he would take over in the New Year. However, he was in place just thirteen days later. He had led Huddersfield Town to 49 wins in 129 League games in charge, but could not get them out of the Second Division. The great man achieved his aim of turning the reds into a ‘bastion of invincibility’ as he led us out of the Second Division and then to three League titles, two FA Cups, the UEFA Cup and FA Charity Shield, before shocking the football world with his resignation in July 1974. 2010 - Tom Werner took over -
Happy birthdays 1947 - Winger Steve Heighway was born in Dublin. He signed from Skelmersdale United in May 1970 and made 475 appearances for the reds, scoring 76 times and helping us to win four League titles, two European Cups, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields, before moving to the USA to sign for Minnesota Kicks in 1981. He later returned to the club in 1989 as Youth Development Officer, becoming Academy Director before leaving at the end of the 2006/07 season. He scored on his 25th birthday as we won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, with Kevin Keegan also netting -
Trebles away from home 1998 - Robbie Fowler scored a hat-trick after Paul Ince had headed the opener as we won 4-2 at Aston Villa, who were unbeaten in their first twelve games, their most successful ever start to a League campaign. This was Gérard Houllier’s first win in sole charge. Villa’s Stan Collymore was sent off in the second half for striking out at Michael Owen, while Dion Dublin had a penalty saved by David James to deny him his hat-trick, although he still netted two of his seven goals past us. Steve Harkness was playing his hundredth League game for the reds. 1936 - Centre-for -
Happy birthday Gary 1965 - Gary Ablett was born in Liverpool. He signed on at Anfield as a professional on his eighteenth birthday, going on to make 147 reds appearances, scoring just once – in only his second game. He helped us to two League titles, FA Cup and FA Charity Shield before being sold to Everton by Graeme Souness for £750,000 in January 1992, with whom he won a second FA Cup. He returned to the club in the summer of 2006 to take over as Reserve Team Manager, leading them to the national title in his second season, although he left at the end of the following campaign. He sadly di -
Taylor out 1959 - Phil Taylor resigned as Manager, paving the way for the arrival of Bill Shankly the following month. He had made 345 appearances as right-half before and after the war, netting 34 times and winning one League title, and captaining the side. He joined the coaching staff when he retired from playing in 1954, and became Manager two years later, staying in the job for three years. However, he has the unhappy distinction of being the only reds boss never to manage the side in the top flight. He said, “The strain of it all has made me very tired at times and I decided, great as i -
Double reds debutants 1974 - Reds legends Terry McDermott and Phil Neal both made their reds debuts as we held Everton to a goalless draw at Goodison Park. Four for Jack 1946 - Jack Balmer bagged all four goals in our 4-1 win at Derby County. This was the second of his three hat-tricks in consecutive games. His third goal was his fiftieth reds strike, while Raich Carter’s late consolation was the last of his six strikes against the reds. Billy’s record 1957 – Billy Liddell played his 431st League game for the reds as we lost a Second Division encounter 3-1 at Ipswich Town, a ne -
Have a rowdy birthday 1937 - Ron Yeats was born in Aberdeen. The giant centre-half played 454 times for the reds, netting sixteen times and captaining us to two League titles, our first FA Cup, the Second Division title and FA Charity Shield. He was one of Bill Shankly’s first and most inspired signings, arriving for just £30,000 from Dundee United in July 1961. He moved on to Tranmere Rovers in December 1971. Technicolor reds 1969 - Our 2-0 home win over West Ham United was the first game screened in colour by the BBC’s Match Of The Day. Chris Lawler and Bobby Graham scored the goals -
Ged takes charge 1998 - Gérard Houllier took sole charge of a reds game for the first time as we lost 3-1 at home to Leeds United. Robbie Fowler’s penalty was cancelled out by three late Leeds goals in front of the Kop, including one from Alan Smith on his debut, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink bagging the first two of his seven strikes past us. Debutants galore 1970 - John Toshack made his reds bow as we were held to a goalless draw at Anfield by Coventry City, with ex-red Geoff Strong being given a rapturous reception as he led his new side out. 1925 – Right-back Jimmy ‘Parson’ Jacks -
Happy birthday Digger 1963 - John Barnes was born at Up Park in Kingston, Jamaica. He signed from Watford for £900,000 in June 1987, a transfer that had been heavily trailed for at least six months. Kopites were not disappointed by his performances once he had arrived, as he helped us to two League titles, FA Cup, League Cup and two FA Charity Shields during an Anfield career in which he scored 108 goals in 407 appearances. He was also twice voted Football Writers’ Player Of The Year, as well as once by his fellow players, joining Newcastle United on a free transfer in August 1997. He became -
An epic swindle 2010 – The sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures under the leadership of John W. Henry was completed, after a chaotic few days of court cases. On the same day, Jamie Carragher signed a contract extension tying him to the club until 2013, while future reds Emre Can and Samed Yeşil both played as Germany Under-17’s won a European Championships qualifier 5-0 in Estonia. Michael at the treble 1983 - Michael Robinson netted a hat-trick, his first League goals for the reds, as we won 3-1 at West Ham United, despite Craig Johnston being sent off just after the hour -
Le Boss taken ill 2001 - Gérard Houllier was admitted to Broadgreen Hospital with chest pains during our Anfield fixture with Leeds United. Thankfully he went on to make a full recovery. Future red Harry Kewell scored for the Yorkshire outfit, before Danny Murphy equalised, handing us our 600th Premiership point. The reds therefore became the third team, after Manchester United and Arsenal, to reach this milestone. First ever Merseyside derby 1894 - We played Everton for the first time in a senior game, unfortunately going down 3-0 at Goodison Park in our ninth ever game in the top fl
