Liverpool
chairman John Smith once described Kenny Dalglish as,
“ The best player this club has signed this century”,
and no wonder. Bob Paisley, who signed Kenny from Glasgow Celtic,
added to the accolade by saying,
“ put me on the spot and I would have to say that the
most complete, all-round, player I have seen in my time at the
club has been Kenny Dalglish.”
Kenny joined Liverpool in August 1977, for £440,000, to
takeover from Kevin Keegan and wearing the same number 7 jersey
he went on to win not only a bag full of trophies, but the hearts
of the Anfield faithful as well.
Paisley knew he was getting proven quality as Kenny had already
won 47 Scottish caps and scored more than a hundred goals for
Celtic in just over 200 games and he continued in that same
vein south of the border. Amazingly he scored on his debut at
Middlesbrough, on August 20th 1977, scoring Liverpool`s only
goal, in the 1-1 draw, in the seventh minute. Before he retired
in 1990 Kenny added a further 171 goals to end his playing days
with 168 Liverpool goals in 515 matches.
In the process Kenny won three European Cups; 1978, when he
scored the only goal against Brugge,1981 and 1984 as well as
a losers medal in the 1985 Heysel European Cup Final. He won
five League Championships; 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
The FA Cup was won in 1986 to add to a string of successes in
the League Cup; 1981,1982, 1983 and 1984.
On a personal front Kenny was voted Footballer of the Year in
1979 and 1983 and in 1983 he made it a `double` by winning the
PFA Player of the Year Award.
The career of Kenny Dalglish was dotted with records and in
1986 he won the 100th cap of his international career as well
as becoming only the second player to score a 100 League goals
in both Scotland and England. Kenny won a total of 102 caps
and shares the Scottish record of 30 goals with Denis Law.
But not only was he a constant threat in the box as a striker
Kenny was just as likely to prise open a tight defence with
a perceptive pass or incisive flick to set up a goal chance
for a colleague, most noticeably for Ian Rush who plundered
a great many of his Liverpool goals thanks to an `assist` from
his Scottish co-striker. Indeed the record goalscorer for the
Anfield club says.
“ I owe at least half of my Liverpool goals to Kenny.”
Despite playing at the sharp end Kenny was a model of consistency
and in his nine years at Liverpool he was an ever-present five
times. In 1985 Kenny became player-manager of Liverpool and
set another record the following year when he became the first
player-manager to win the League and FA Cup `Double`.
Even when Kenny played his last game he set a record that is
unlikely to be beaten. When he came on as a substitute against
Derby County on May 1st 1990, in the 72nd minute he became,
at the age of 39 years and 58 days, the oldest player to appear
in a Liverpool senior game.