Liverpool All-Time Draft

JOHN BARNES




Personal Details

Full name: John Charles Bryan Barnes
Nickname: Digger
DOB: 7 November 1963
Age: 44
Birth place: Kingston, Jamaica
Position: Left winger, left-central midfielder
Strengths: pace, power and dribbling
League Debut: 5th September, 1981 in a 1-1 draw with Oldham Athletic at Vicarage Road

Playing Career

Youth clubs
Sudbury Court

Senior clubs
Watford (1981-87) - 233 (65)
Liverpool (1987-97) - 314 (84)
Newcastle United (1997-99) - 27 (6)
Charlton Athletic (1999) - 12 (0)

Total (club) - 586 (155)

National teamEngland (1983-95) - 79 (12)

Total (all) - 665 (167)

Transfers

Transferred from Sudbury Court to Watford, 14/7/1981, fee of a set of a kit
Transferred from Watford to Liverpool, 19/6/1987, £900,000
Transferred from Liverpool to Newcastle, 13/8/1997, free transfer

Honours

Watford
Runner Up
1981/82 League Championship (Level 1)
1982/83 League Championship (Level 1)
1983/84 FA Cup

Liverpool
Winner
1987/88 League Championship (Level 1)
1988/89 Charity Shield
1988/89 FA Cup
1989/90 Charity Shield
1989/90 League Championship (Level 1)
1990/91 Charity Shield Shared
1994/95 League Cup

Runner Up
1987/88 FA Cup
1988/89 League Championship (Level 1)
1990/91 League Championship (Level 1)
1995/96 FA Cup

Newcastle United
Runner Up
1997/98 FA Cup

England
1983-1995 79 caps 12 goals

Individual
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (1988, 1990)
Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year (1988)
Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, 2005
#5 in the poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop"

Short Biography

During his stellar career as a professional football player in England, John Barnes played a total of 665 times for Watford, Liverpool, Newcastle, Charlton and England, scoring 167 goals. He was a member of the Liverpool team that won the league title in 1988 and 1990, Liverpool's most recent league title, the FA Cup in 1989 and 1992 and the League Cup in 1995. Despite becoming the first black player to win the Football Writers' Association Players' Player of the Year award as well as winning the prestigious Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Footballer of the Year award in 1988, Barnes' best season was the 1989-90 season when he won the FWA Players' Player of the Year award for the second time. These awards came during his so called, "untouchable" years as a professional footballer.

His professional career lasted 18 years, all but one season of it as a member of teams in the highest league division. Two images of John Barnes are remembered most clearly by English soccer fans; the first being his stunning individual goal for England against Brazil in 1984 when he collected the ball at the halfway line and beat five Brazilian defenders to score one of the most memorable goals ever achieved by an England player and the second his dismissive back-heeling of a banana thrown onto the pitch by racists.



John Barnes back-heeling a banana, thrown onto the field by racist supporters.

As a player he could turn games around with his power and pace and had the ability to energize a whole team. For example he was brought on with 15 minutes to go against Argentina in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals when England was 2-0 down and Barnes single-handedly dismantled the Argentine defense, setting up a goal and a missed chance for teammate Gary Lineker.

Quotes

"Football is a game, a glorious pursuit but how can it be more important than life itself?" John Barnes wrote this in his autobiography about the Hillsborough football disaster.

"Barnes did what we expected him to do. He made a goal, scored one, and entertained. You remember that." Kenny Dalglish after John Barnes Anfield debut for Liverpool in a 2-0 win over Oxford in 1987.

Videos

John Barnes individual goal vs Brazil, 1984 at the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCyXGiJ-jc

100 Players Who Shook the Kop - #5, John Barnes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBrfN9DYksA

 

Good selection Grinners, let's get this thing moving.

 

Ian James Rush MBE

Date of Birth: October 20, 1961
Place of Birth: St Asaph, Wales

HONOURS:
Division One 1981/1982, 1982/1983, 1983/1984, 1985/1986, 1989/1990;
European Cup 1983/1984; FA Cup 1985/1986, 1988/1989, 1991/1992
League Cup 1980/1981, 1981/1982, 1982/1983, 1983/1984, 1994/1995

First Team Appearances: 660
Goals: 346

TRANSFER FEES: £300,000 (from Chester City, April 1980); £2,800,000 (from Juventus, August 1988).

Ian Rush, brought in at the young age of 18 from Chester City, was one of Liverpool's most influental players throughout the 80's and early 90's. Along with establishing one of the most feared forward partnerships in Europe at the time with Kenny Dalglish, Rush also holds many other honours with Liverpool. He holds the record for most goals scored in the famous red shirt, with 346, and is second in most league goals scored (229) behind only Roger Hunt (245). He currently holds both records for goals scored in FA Cup finals (5), as well as goals in the League Cup (49). But perhaps what he will most be remembered for is his ability to score against Everton, the club he supported as a boy. He has scored 25 goals in the Merseyside Derby, more than any other player from either club, including his famous 4 goals in the 5-nil thrashing of Everton at Goodison on the 6th of November, 1982.

Liverpool 5 - Everton 0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mMve0Pk_x0k

 

Steven Gerrard MBE

Date of Birth: May 30, 1980
Place of Birth: Whiston, England

Club Honours
FA Cup: 2000/2001, 2005/2006
League Cup: 2000/2001, 2002/2003
UEFA Champions League: 2004/2005
UEFA Cup: 2000/2001
Community Shield: 2001, 2006
UEFA Super Cup: 2001, 2005

Personal Honours
PFA Young Player of the Year (2001)
UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player (2004/2005)
PFA Player of the Year (2006)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) (2007)

First Team Appearances: 288
First Team Goals: 51

Youth Clubs: Liverpool (1989-1997)
Senior Clubs: Liverpool (1997-Present)

England Duty
Youth Team Appearances: 4
Youth Team Goals: 1
Senior Team Appearances: 63
Senior Team Goals: 12

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard first caught the eye of the club's scouts playing for Whiston Juniors aged nine. Eight years later, after a period as a trainee, he signed his first professional contract.

Within 12 months the starlet had made his first-team debut, coming on as a second-half sub for Vegard Heggem against Blackburn Rovers on November 29, 1998. The following week Gerard Houllier gave him a first start when the Reds travelled to White Hart Lane.

Gerrard played 13 games in his debut season, in part due to the injury woes of fellow midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

Persistent back and groin problems punctuated his blossoming career, though he'd managed to establish himself as a first-team regular by the start of the 1999-00 season.

It proved to be a momentous campaign for the Whiston-born youngster, not least because of a spectacular first professional goal at Anfield against Sheffield Wednesday. England coach Kevin Keegan was starting to take note.

Having already featured at under-18 and under-21 level, Gerrard was handed his first senior international cap against Ukraine on May 31, 2000. From there he was selected for Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium, but had to settle for just a single substitute appearance.

By now the Liverpool number eight was regarded by many as the complete midfielder, and he was instrumental in the Reds winning a unique treble in 2000-01.

With the Worthington and FA Cups already in the bag, Gerrard was one of the scorers in an unforgettable 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alaves. It came as no surprise when the man nicknamed the Huyton Hammer was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

The milestones were starting to stack up for Gerrard, who kicked off the following season by netting his first international goal in the famous 5-1 trouncing of Germany in their own backyard.

The win helped Sven's men secure a World Cup place, but heartbreak followed when a groin injury ruled the midfield maestro out of Japan and South Korea.

A disappointing domestic season followed, the highlight of which was a Worthington Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Gerrard opened the scoring in a satisfying 2-0 win over Manchester United.

By the start of the 2003-04 season, the midfielder had firmly established himself as Liverpool's on-field leader, and it was no surprise when Houllier handed him the captain's armband in place of Sami Hyypia.

The decision proved such a success that within six months Gerrard was captaining England against Sweden in the absence of David Beckham.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get any better for the Scouser, they did. In 2004-05, under new boss Rafa Benitez, Gerrard lifted the club's fifth European Cup.

Having already brought Liverpool back from the brink earlier in the campaign with a last-gasp strike against Olympiacos, the skipper helped inspire the greatest comeback of all time in Istanbul.

No one believed the Reds could overturn AC Milan's 3-0 half-time lead - until Stevie G's 54th minute header, that is.

His heroics earned him the title of UEFA's Most Valuable Player in 2004-05, as well as a nomination for the prestigious Ballon D'Or award. He would come third in the latter, behind Ronaldinho and countryman Frank Lampard.

In the months that followed the final, the Reds' star player signed a new four-year contract at Anfield to put an end to speculation about his future.

The 2005-06 season was perhaps Gerrard's most impressive to date, scoring 23 goals in 53 games and being crowned PFA Player of the Year. He was the first Liverpool man to win the award since John Barnes in 1988.

The season culminated with another FA Cup win in Cardiff, with West Ham providing the opposition. If 1953 will always be remembered as the Stanley Matthews final, then 2006 will surely go down as Gerrard's day.

The captain twice breached Shaka Hislop's net, including a dramatic equaliser in the dying moments to send the game into extra-time and, ultimately, penalties. This 35-yard volley was voted Match of the Day's Goal of the Season.

Gerrard - who's played in just about every position for Liverpool - had now scored in four major finals, something no English-based player had ever done.

Next, in the summer of 2006 and aged 26, the midfielder featured in his first World Cup. After scoring twice in the group stages, he was one of three players to miss a penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out loss to Portugal.

In the wake of defeat and Beckham standing down, Gerrard was widely tipped to be the next England skipper. New boss Steve McClaren eventually plumped for Chelsea centre-back John Terry, with the Liverpool man having to settle for the vice-captaincy.

The Kop idol returned from Germany for another eventful domestic season during which he broke Ian Rush's European Cup goalscoring record. His header against PSV was his 15th in the competition, one more than the legendary striker.

In December 2006, Gerrard was awarded an MBE, which he later collected from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

As if all this wasn't enough, the season ended with another European Cup final, and again it was AC Milan.

The Reds might have lost 2-1 in Athens, but Gerrard was more than happy to pen a new four-year contract to keep him at Anfield until 2011.

He enjoyed a mixed start to the 2007-08 season, scoring crucial free-kicks against Aston Villa on the opening day and Arsenal on his 400th appearance for the club. There was major disappointment in November, however, when he skippered the national side to a 3-2 defeat against Croatia at Wembley - ending both England's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 and Steve McClaren's reign at manager.

FA Cup Final 2006
Champions League Final 2005
Top 10 Gerrard Goals
100 PWSTK - #4 Steven Gerrard

 

Sorry guys I've been lost in the despairs of being dumped by my (ex) beautiful Romanian girlfriend whom I was madly in love with

Am I in this or not? I received several pm's saying it's my pick but i'm not listed as a participant???

 

Now AussieLFC is up

 

GOD

 

Jamie Carragher

 

Emlyn Hughes OBE

Date of Birth: August 28, 1947
Place of Birth: Barrow-in-Furness

Club Honours
Liverpool F.C.
Division 1 Cups: 1973, 1976, 1977 and 1979
FA Cup: 1974
European Cups: 1977 and 1978
UEFA Cups: 1973 and 1976
UEFA Super Cup: 1977
Charity Shields: 1974, 1976, 1977

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
League Cup: 1980

Personal Honours
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1980)
Football Writers Footballer of the Year (1977)

First Time Appearances
Blackpool - 28 appearances (1964-1967)
Liverpool - 665 appearances (1967-1979)
Wolverhampton - 58 appearances (1979-1981)
Rotherham - 56 appearances (1981-1983)
Hull City - 9 appearances (1983)
Mansfield Town - 0 appearances (1983)
Swansea City - 7 appearances (1983-1984)

First Team Goals
Blackpool - 0
Liverpool - 49
Wolverhampton - 2
Rotherham - 6
Hull City - 0
Mansfield Town - 0
Swansea City - 0

England Duty
Youth Team Appearances: 8
Youth Team Goals: ?
Senior Team Appearances: 62
Senior Team Goals: 1

Full back, centre back and midfielder he was one of the great Liverpool captains and the first to hold aloft the European Cup after the majestic 3-1 victory over Borrussia Moenchengladbach in Rome in 1977.
Hughes, who also captained England and won 62 caps, was signed as a 19-year-old by Bill Shankly from Blackpool for £65,000 in 1967 after a mere 31 League and Cup appearances. But his infectious enthusiasm, skill and endless drive combined to make him a player of impressive stature and also prompted Everton fans to give him the enduring nickname 'Crazy Horse'.

Barrow-born Hughes was an inspirational figure for club and country and crowned his energetic displays with some spectacular goals, including two in the Mersey derby win at Everton in March 1973.

Hughes, an OBE, came from a sporting family; his father was former Barrow and Britain Rugby League star Fred, both his brother and uncle were R L professionals and one of his aunts was an England hockey international. His Anfield career ended when he joined Wolves for £90,000 in 1979.

Hughes hated to lose and often looked sick after big losses, but when Liverpool won, his smile was infectious. RIP Crazy Horse.

"Don't you know who's in the car? The future captain of England!"
-Shankly

[youtube]n3UQNM-jWQ8[/youtube]

LFC.tv Hughes Profile
Wikipedia Hughes Profile

 

My next pick as well

Anyway, I wanted to try and keep my team balanced and draft equally for each position, but I just can't pass up this duo up front.


Joseph Kevin Keegan OBE

Date of Birth: 14/02/51
Birthplace: Armthorpe, Yorkshire
Debut : 14th August 1971 v Nottingham Forest (H) Football League Division One
1st team games: 323
1st team goals: 100

Honours with Liverpool:
First Division Championship 1972/73, 1975/76 & 1976/77
FA Cup 1974
European Cup 1977
UEFA Cup 1973, 1976
Charity Shield 1974, 1976

Profile from LFC.tv
Bill Shankly's £35,000 swoop for Keegan from Scunthorpe in May 1971 proved one of the shrewdest transfer moves ever. He was signed as a midfielder and potential replacement for long-serving Ian Callaghan. But Keegan's sparkling display up front in a pre-season practice match persuaded Shankly to plunge him into his debut alongside John Toshack in attack at the start of the 1971-72 season.

Keegan scored after just 12 minutes, Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 and another epoch in Anfield history had begun. The confident recruit, born in Armthorpe near Doncaster, hit big-time football like a whirlwind. He swiftly won England under 23 recognition with the first of 63 full caps coming within 18 months as he soared to pop star status.

His potent, trophy-capturing alliance with Toshack became feared throughout England and Europe before Keegan joined Hamburg for £500,000 in 1977, going on to become European Player of the Year twice. He scored 100 Liverpool goals and said farewell by helping to win their first European Cup with a 3-1 conquest of Borussia Moenchengladbach in Rome. Later he played for Southampton and Newcastle - whom he also managed - received an OBE and in 1999 became England manager.

 

Yeah. I know I am a genius right.

 

PHIL NEAL




Personal Details

Full name: Philip George Neal
Nickname: Zico
DOB: 20 February 1951
Age: 56
Birth place: Irchester, England
Position: natural right full-back, also able to play as a left full-back
Strengths: consistency, penalties, overlapping forward runs
Liverpool League Debut: 16 November 1974 v Everton (at left back) Football League Division One: drew 0-0
International debut: 24 March 1976 vs Wales

Playing Career

Liverpool - all comps
Liverpool (1974-85) - 648 (60)

National team
England (1976-83) - 50 (5)

Other clubs
Northampton Town (1968-74)
Bolton Wanderers (1985-89)

Transfers

Transferred from Northampton Town to Liverpool, 9/10/1974, for £66,000

Honours

Liverpool
8 x League Championships (1975/76, 76/77, 78/79, 79/80, 81/82, 82/83, 83/84, 85/86)
4 x European Cup (76/77, 77/78, 80/81, 83/84)
UEFA Cup (1975/76)
4 x League Cup (80/81, 81/82, 82/83, 83/84)
5 x Charity Shield (76/77, 77/78, 79/80, 80/81, 82/83)
European Super Cup (1977/78)

England
1976-1983 50 caps 5 goals

Individual
#20 in the poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop"

Info

One of the most-decorated players in English football history, Phil Neal made his name with Northampton Town and had played in nearly 200 Football League games for The Cobblers when he was transferred to Liverpool in November 1974 as Bob Paisley's first managerial signing. Vastly experienced already with the league scene even at the relatively young age of 23, being pitched into the Goodison derby with Everton just days after his arrival on Merseyside didn't bother him in the slightest. Phil missed the next 3 matches after that goalless debut but then played in the last 22 fixtures of the 1974-75 season, mostly at left-back even though he preferred to be on the right. That started a quite astonishing run of consecutive appearances for Liverpool; 417 games in a row for Liverpool between 23rd of October 1976 to 24th of September 1983. A Liverpool record.

http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=387

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Neal

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNarUAm1mN8