KENNY DALGLISH

1977- 90 GAMES 502 CLUB LIVERPOOL

BEFORE Bob Paisley’s indomitable Reds were just that: league and European champions in 1976- 77, having topped the First Division and won the UEFA Cup a season prior. Follow that.

LEGACY They don’t call him ‘ King’ for nowt. Granted, Liverpool fell to second in Dalglish’s first season, but it was no bust: by May, the Reds’ new talisman was netting his 31st goal of the season against Club Brugge to ensure they retained the European Cup at Wembley.

The Scot was conspicuous on Merseyside by his consistency. Liverpool bagged five of the next six titles, two more European Cups and four League Cups even as Paisley passed the baton to Joe Fagan in 1983. The fabled Boot Room was an unforgiving place, though, and Dalglish was often its ringleader. His strike partnership with Ian Rush eventually became arguably the best in English football history, but as the bullied Welshman later said of his first impressions, “I hated him.” On the pitch, the duo combined for 51 goals in 1982- 83 as Dalglish became chief facilitator – fortunately, before Rush smashed a cake over the head of Dalglish’s wife at his Juventus send- off dinner (“and immediately regretted it,” he told FFT).

By then, Dalglish had taken on the daunting task of wielding player- manager duties after replacing a haunted Fagan in ’ 85 post- Heysel. While his own role on the pitch diminished aged 34, Liverpool won the Double in his first season at the helm – with Dalglish grabbing the goal at Stamford Bridge to seal title glory. The Reds’ days of European domination were over then – sadly enforced – but such matters paled into insignificance when Dalglish and his players had to deal with the heartbreaking realities of Hillsborough. The dignified boss attended funerals and helped families during a tragic period for the city, then followed it in the only other way he knew: leading his club to their last title for 30 years. For his final bow, a 39- year- old Dalglish came on against Derby with the trophy already secured, for one last swish of the boots. You couldn’t blame him.

BEST MOMENT Scoring a European Cup final winner in your first season is good going. “It’s hard to put into words my emotions... it was fantastically enjoyable,” he beamed to

SCORING A EUROPEAN CUP FINAL WINNER IN YOUR FIRST SEASON IS GOOD GOING