Some unimaginable footballers have stayed loyal to Liverpool for many, if not all, of their taking part in careers, however who’re the Reds’ 10 longest-serving gamers?
Most would love the chance to remain at Anfield proper up till the day they cling up their boots, however for varied causes, that not often occurs to be the case.
There are, nevertheless, a handful of fortunate gamers who may name Liverpool their group for a particularly very long time.
Right here, we checklist the ten gamers with the longest time interval between their first and final appearances for the Reds.
10. Billy Liddell – 14 years and 239 days
Scotsman Liddell is one in every of solely 4 gamers to breach the 200-goal mark in Liverpool’s historical past.
In his early years with the membership, he studied as an accountant alongside his soccer commitments, along with his dad and mom eager to make sure he had one thing to fall again on if soccer didn’t work out.
They needn’t have frightened about that, with Liddell happening to turn out to be probably the most prolific strikers in Reds historical past.
He scored on his debut, a 2-0 win over Crewe in January 1946, and made his ultimate look for the membership in a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in August 1960.
9. Tommy Smith – 14 years and 352 days
Former Reds’ captain Smith earned the nickname of the ‘Anfield Iron’ as a result of his uncompromising type as a defender for his hometown membership.
Regardless of that fame, he was solely despatched off as soon as in his 638 appearances for Liverpool which got here between Could 1963 and April 1978 and noticed him win 4 league titles, the European Cup, two FA Cups and two UEFA Cups.
8. Jamie Carragher – 16 years and 131 days
A boyhood Evertonian, Carragher joined the Liverpool academy on the age of 10 and would go on to play for the membership for his total profession.
His debut got here in a 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in January 1997, the primary of 737 appearances for the Reds, the second-highest in membership historical past.
He gained 9 main trophies, the decide of the bunch being the Champions League in 2005, earlier than bowing out on the ultimate day of the 2012-13 season.
7. Jack Balmer – 16 years and 155 days
Having performed for Everton as an novice, Balmer was launched by the Toffees on the age 19, and their loss was Liverpool’s acquire.
Balmer’s superior talent and intelligence ensured he grew to become one in every of Liverpool’s biggest forwards, and he’s nonetheless thought-about as the person accountable for the membership’s quickest aim after simply 10 seconds in opposition to Everton in 1938.
A distinguished and dependable servant who sits in 14th place on Liverpool’s all-time prime goalscorer checklist, Balmer performed for the membership between 1935 and 1952.
6. Steven Gerrard – 16 years and 177 days
Gerrard ranks third within the checklist of gamers to have made probably the most appearances in Liverpool historical past.
In an period when Liverpool largely struggled to compete on the highest degree, Gerrard was the standout performer by a ways. Having come by way of the academy, he signed his first skilled deal in 1997, making his debut the next 12 months.
He would go on to turn out to be an all-time nice, turning down profitable presents from a few of Europe’s prime golf equipment in favour of staying at Anfield. His final look sport on the finish of the 2014-15 season, earlier than he completed his profession in America with LA Galaxy.
5. Ephraim Longworth – 17 years and 215 days
Born in Bolton in 1887, Longworth had a exceptional 18-year profession as a Liverpool defender.
He performed his first sport for the Reds in 1910 and was an integral cog within the relentless machine that gained back-to-back league titles within the early Twenties.
The arrival of the First World Conflict robbed Ephraim of his finest years, however he nonetheless notched up 341 video games for Liverpool.
4. Phil Taylor – 17 years and 287 days
A promising striker in his youthful days, Taylor finally ended up forging an unimaginable Liverpool profession as a cultured defender.
He scored a last-minute aim at Derby on his debut on 28 March 1936, and performed for the Reds proper by way of till 1954, making 345 appearances, and representing England thrice.
Taylor lived to the age of 95, and was believed to be the oldest residing England worldwide footballer on the time of his loss of life.
3. Ian Callaghan – 17 years and 347 days
There may be absolutely no catching the participant to have made probably the most Liverpool appearances (857), the nice Ian Callaghan. He gained six league titles, two FA Cups and two European Cups.
Having performed extra centrally as a wing-half in his schoolboy days, at Anfield Callaghan was requested to play broad on the correct, the place he was ready to make use of his energy and tempo to beat defenders and get to the byline and whip in crosses.
It was on this function that he made his mark, and with the arrival of Invoice Shankly in 1959, he would signal an expert contract in 1960. He made his debut later that 12 months and stayed with the membership proper by way of till 1978.
2. Donald Mackinlay – 18 years and 134 days
McKinlay made his Liverpool debut at 19 years of age on 20 April 1910, and performed a key function within the group that gained successive League Championship titles in 1922 and 1923.
His capturing prowess gave him a return of 34 targets for Liverpool, of which solely 4 got here from the penalty spot, not unhealthy for a left-back!
He made his final look in 1928, 18-and-a-half years after his first.
1. Elisha Scott – 21 years and 51 days
Will anybody ever come near taking part in for Liverpool’s senior group for over 21 years? These days, it will seem extraordinarily unlikely.
Scott is among the biggest goalkeepers within the membership’s historical past, making 468 appearances between 1913 and 1934, and had World Conflict I not taken away 4 years of his profession, he would undoubtedly have made much more.
The longest-serving participant in Liverpool’s historical past, and by a ways, and an undisputed King of the Kop.
