Home      Discussion      Topics      Dictionary      Almanac
Signup       Login
Ian Callaghan

Ian Callaghan

Overview
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...

 (born 10 April 1942 in Toxteth
Toxteth
Toxteth is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, Toxteth is bordered by Liverpool City Centre, Dingle, Edge Hill, Wavertree and Aigburth.-Description:...

, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

) is a former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Ian Callaghan'
Start a new discussion about 'Ian Callaghan'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum
 
Unanswered Questions
Encyclopedia
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...

 (born 10 April 1942 in Toxteth
Toxteth
Toxteth is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, Toxteth is bordered by Liverpool City Centre, Dingle, Edge Hill, Wavertree and Aigburth.-Description:...

, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

) is a former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.

Life and playing career


A Liverpool supporter as a child, Callaghan joined the club as an apprentice on 28 March 1960 and made his debut on 16 April in a 4-0 win against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

.

A right-winger, Callaghan was a regular in the team from 1961 onwards. The club was promoted from the Second Division as champions in 1962 under the management of Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...

, having spent spent eight years in the second tier and coming close to promotion on occasion under both Shankly and previous manager Phil Taylor. Callaghan appeared twenty three times that season and also managed to score his first goal for the club which came in the 56th minute of the game against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 at Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...

 on the 4 November 1961.

Callaghan became a major part of the side which finished 8th in their first season back in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

. The following year, 1963-64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...

, Liverpool won the League championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 by four points over north-west rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 and five over Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

 rivals and reigning league champions Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

.

In the 1964-65
1964-65 in English football
The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions....

 season, Liverpool could only finish 7th in the defence of their title but they did reach the FA Cup Final
1965 FA Cup Final
The 1965 FA Cup Final took place on 1 May 1965 at Wembley Stadium. It was the 93rd year, 84th final and the 37th to be played at Wembley...

 against league runners-up Leeds United. With the match goalless after 90 minutes, extra-time followed. Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...

 opened the scoring Liverpool three minutes into the extra period but Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...

 equalised for Leeds just two minutes later. The game looked to be heading for a replay when Callaghan broke down the right nine minutes from the end and sent a cross which was met by a diving Ian St John who headed home from close range.

The 1965 season saw another League championship but this was tempered by defeat in the European Cup-Winners Cup final as Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...

 won 2-1 at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...

. Callaghan's and team-mates Hunt and Gerry Byrne
Gerry Byrne (footballer)
Gerald 'Gerry' Byrne is an English former footballer who spent his entire playing career at Liverpool Football Club.-Life and playing career:...

 were then named by Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...

 in the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 squad for the 1966 World Cup for which England were hosts.

Callaghan played in the group game against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 which England won 2-0, but ultimately was left out of the side as it progressed, with Ramsey preferring Alan Ball in an innovative system which did not deploy natural wingers of Callaghan's type. The team went on to win the World Cup and became known as the "wingless wonders". Callaghan was one of four England players to play for England in the tournament without playing in the final itself, the others being Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...

, Terry Paine
Terry Paine
Terence Lionel Paine MBE is a former English footballer.Paine made 713 football league appearances for Southampton F.C. and 111 for Hereford United F.C...

 and John Connelly
John Connelly
John Michael Connelly is an English former footballer. He played as an outside forward and was capped 20 times for his country.-Career with Burnley:...

.

In the late 1960s as Shankly set about dismantling the now aging team, Callaghan switched from the wing to a more central midfield role.

Liverpool, with Callaghan in the side, reached the 1971
1970-71 in English football
The 1970–71 season was the 91st season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the end of a season which would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. Arsenal secured the league title at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter rivals...

 FA Cup final, losing 2-1 to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 after extra time. The 1972-73
1972-73 in English football
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League announced that a three-up, three-down system would operate between the top two divisions from the following season, rather than the traditional two-up, two-down system...

 campaign saw Liverpool achieve a League and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 double, winning the league by 3 points over Arsenal and defeating German team Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...

 3-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup, Ray Clemence
Ray Clemence
Raymond Neal "Ray" Clemence, MBE is one of English and European football's most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Scunthorpe United:...

 saving a Jupp Heynckes
Jupp Heynckes
Josef "Jupp" Heynckes is a German football coach and former player. As player he belonged to the core of the team of Borussia Mönchengladbach in its golden era of the 1960s and 1970s where he won many national championships and the Cup as well as the UEFA Cup...

 penalty at Anfield (the visitors would have won the trophy on the away goals rule if he had scored).

In 1974, Liverpool won the FA Cup for the second time, beating Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 3-0. When Shankly then announced his retirement, Ian was the only player to have been in the first team longer than he had managed it. Also in 1974, Callaghan was named the Football Writers Footballer of the Year and was awarded the MBE for his services to football.

In 1976, at the age of 34, he played in Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...

’s side which won a League and UEFA Cup double. He played in all the European matches and missed just 2 league games. The League was a tight affair as Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

 pushed the Reds all the way and were actually top with Liverpool having one game left to play, away at already relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

. Liverpool trailed 1-0 with just fourteen minutes remaining before Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

 equalised, John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...

  put them into the lead and, with a minute left, Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...

 added a third goal. The UEFA Cup final saw the Anfield club face Bruges
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....

 of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. Liverpool took a slender 3-2 lead to Belgium and held Bruges to a 1-1 draw to take the trophy for second time.

In the 1976-77
1976-77 in English football
The 1976–77 season was the 97th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League revamped the tie-breaking criteria for teams level of points, replacing the traditional goal average tie-breaker with one based on goal difference to try to encourage more scoring...

 season, during which he reached the age of 35, Callaghan was awarded a third and fourth, and final, England caps, having made his international debut on the 26 June 1966 in Helsinki against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....

 and won his second during the 1966 World Cup. The gap of 11 years 49 days, and 108 internationals, between Callaghans's second and third caps are both records for an England player. He was the last member of the 1966 World Cup winning squad to appear for England.

Liverpool won the League again in 1977, beating Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 into second spot by a single point. The other Manchester club, United, stood in their way for a domestic double and the second part of the potential treble. Callaghan was a substitute for the game (FA-cup final) which was a thrilling spectacle, but United stopped the run by beating the Anfield club 2-1. Ian came on in the second half and impressed Paisley enough for him to keep Callaghan in the side for the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 final in Rome a few days later. Terry McDermott
Terry McDermott
Terence "Terry" McDermott is a former football midfielder and current coach. He is currently the assistant manager at League One side Huddersfield Town.He is the father of Newcastle United player Greg McDermott and Marsaxlokk player Neale McDermott-Early career:McDermott joined Bury as a youngster...

 put Liverpool ahead in the 29th minute but Allan Simonsen
Allan Simonsen
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen is a former Danish footballer and manager. He most prominently played for German team Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona from Spain, winning the 1982 Cup WInners' Cup...

 equalised in the 50th, Smith scored his first goal of the season in the 67th to give the Reds the lead once more and with five minutes left Keegan was brought down by man marker Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...

 in the penalty area. Penalty expert Phil Neal
Phil Neal
Philip George "Phil" Neal is a former footballer who was, at one time, the most successful player in English football history. He played for Liverpool 650 times over an eleven year period and is the only player to have appeared in the first five of their European Cup finals, winning four of them...

 converted the spot kick and Liverpool held on to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...

 3-1 and brought the trophy to Anfield for the first time.

Callaghan played one more season for Liverpool appearing in 41 league and cup matches. By the end of the 1977-78
1977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...

 season, Liverpool had retained the European Cup beating Bruges 1-0 in the Wembley final. Callaghan was a non-playing sub for the game which was won with a Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...

 goal. He did, however, play in Liverpool’s first ever League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 final at Wembley, which they lost to Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...

's Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

 after a replay. It was in this game that he received his only booking for the club.

The League Cup would ultimately prove the only domestic trophy to elude him.

In the autumn of 1978, Callaghan finally left Liverpool after 856 first team appearances, during which he scored 69 goals. He joined his former Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

 team-mate John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...

 at Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

, helping them to two consecutive promotions. He also spent some time playing in the United States for Fort Lauderdale on loan, alongside fellow veterans Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....

 and George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...

. He also played for Canberra City
Canberra City SC
Canberra City Football Club, also known for some time as the Canberra Arrows, is an Australian football club based in Canberra in the ACT...

, also on loan, Cork United and although he signed for Sandefjord
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....

 of Norway he did not play for them as he could not get a work permit.He finally concluded his career at Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 where he set an all time record of 88 F.A Cup appearances. He retired at the age of 39 in 1982 though it was injury rather than age that finally curtailed his career as he suffered an Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...

 problem which forced him to quit. He played his last league game for Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 away against Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

 on the 20 March 1982, losing 1-2.

Callaghan, a true gentleman who is well liked and respected, has kept a low profile since retirement but his name remains in the club's record books for the most first team appearances, the most League appearances, the second most European appearances (behind Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...

), as well as the distinction to be the only Liverpool player to progress from Second Division championship to European Cup. His appearances record is unlikely to be beaten. A further record is that he was only once booked
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...

 in his entire career.

After retiring from football Ian Callaghan started an insurance sales business with an office in Lydiate
Lydiate
-Future:In 2009 planning permission was sought to be a marina on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal by Bells Lane.-Notable residents:*Ian Callaghan, former professional footballer, owned an insurance agency near the Weld Blundell....

 and can still be seen at Anfield as he is a regular visitor to the club he still supports and is the president of the Official Liverpool FC Fanclub. Still revered by the Anfield faithful, he was voted in at No.15 in the '100 Players Who shook The Kop' poll in the summer of 2006.

In the 1966 World Cup final
1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...

 only the 11 players on the pitch at the end of the 4-2 win over West Germany received medals. Following a Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

 led campaign to persuade FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 to award medals to all the winners’ squad members, Callaghan was presented with his medal
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...

 by Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

 at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....

 on 10 June 2009.

Domestic Honours


Note: the leagues and divisions of English football have changed somewhat over time, so here they are grouped into their relative levels on the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...

 at the time they were won to allow easy comparison of the achievement

  • Football League First Division (level 1 of the English football league system)
    • Champion: 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1977
    • Runner-up: 1969

  • Football League Championship
    Football League Championship
    The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

     and predecessors
    (level 2 of the English football league system)
    • Champion: 1962

  • Football League One
    Football League One
    Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

     and predecessors
    (level 3 of the English football league system)
    • 3rd Place (Promotion) : 1979

  • FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

    • Winner: 1965
      1965 FA Cup Final
      The 1965 FA Cup Final took place on 1 May 1965 at Wembley Stadium. It was the 93rd year, 84th final and the 37th to be played at Wembley...

      , 1974
      1974 FA Cup Final
      The 1974 FA Cup Final was contested by Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley. In a one-sided match Liverpool won 3–0, with goals from Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway...

    • Runner-up: 1971
      1971 FA Cup Final
      In the finale to the 1970-71 FA Cup season, the 1971 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley on the 8 May 1971.Arsenal won 2–1 after extra time, with all three goals coming in the added half hour. Steve Heighway opened the scoring for Liverpool with a low drive past...

      , 1977
      1977 FA Cup Final
      The 1977 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1976–77 FA Cup, the 96th season of England's premier cup football competition. The match was played on 21 May 1977 at Wembley Stadium, London, and it was contested by Manchester United and Liverpool. United won the game 2–1. All three goals came in a...


  • Football League Cup
    Football League Cup
    The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

    • Runner-up: 1978
      1978 Football League Cup Final
      The 1978 Football League Cup Final was the eighteenth League Cup final, and was contested between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The initial match resulted in a 0–0 draw at Wembley Stadium on 18 March 1978...


  • FA Charity Shield
    FA Community Shield
    The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...

    • Winner: 1966, 1974
      1974 FA Charity Shield
      The 1974 FA Charity Shield was a football match played on 10 August 1974 between 1973–74 champions Leeds United and 1974 FA Cup Final winners Liverpool...

      , 1976
      1976 FA Charity Shield
      The 1976 FA Charity Shield was a football match played between Liverpool, as English First Division Champions in the 1975/76 season, and Southampton, as English FA Cup winners in 1976....

    • Shared: 1964
      1964 FA Charity Shield
      The 1964 FA Charity Shield was the 42nd FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 15 August 1964 at Anfield, Liverpool and contested by Liverpool, who had won the 1963–64 First...

      , 1965
      1965 FA Charity Shield
      The 1965 FA Charity Shield was the 43rd FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 14 August 1965 at Old Trafford, Manchester and contested by Manchester United, who had won the...

      , 1977
      1977 FA Charity Shield
      The 1977 FA Charity Shield was the 55th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 13 August 1977 at Wembley Stadium and contested by Liverpool, who had won the 1976–77 First...

    • Runner-up: 1971

  • Welsh Cup
    Welsh Cup
    The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...

    • Winner: 1981

European and International honours

  • European Cup
    UEFA Champions League
    The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

    • Winner: 1977
      1977 European Cup Final
      The 1977 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of Germany on 25 May 1977 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The showpiece event was the final match of the 1976–77 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup...

      , 1978
      1978 European Cup Final
      The 1978 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Club Brugge of Belgium on 10 May 1978 at Wembley Stadium, London, England. It was the final match of the 1977–78 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were the reigning...


  • UEFA Cup
    • Winner: 1973
      1973 UEFA Cup Final
      The 1973 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played over two-legs between Liverpool F.C. of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of West Germany on 10 May, 1973 and 23 May, 1973 at Anfield, Liverpool and the Bökelbergstadion, Mönchengladbach. It was the final two matches of the 1972–73...

      , 1976
      1976 UEFA Cup Final
      The 1976 UEFA Cup Final was played on April 28, 1976 and May 19, 1976 between Liverpool F.C. of England and Club Brugge K.V. of Belgium. Liverpool won 4-3 on aggregate.-First Leg:-Second Leg:-External links:**...


  • Cup Winners' Cup
    UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

    • Runner-up 1966

  • European Super Cup
    European Super Cup
    The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...

    :
    • Winner: 1977

International career

  • World Cup
    FIFA World Cup
    The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

    : 1966

awarded world cup medal in 2009 by F.I.F.A.

Individual Awards Awards

  • FWA Footballer of the Year: 1973-1974
  • MBE
    Order of the British Empire
    The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

    : 1974


Record for most appearances for Liverpool FC [857]

External links