Ian Callaghan

BEST MANAGER YOU PLAYED FOR?

BILL SHANKLY because he signed me as a pro and I played more games for him than any other player. A great motivator. You’d run through brick walls for him.

BEST PLAYER YOU PLAYED WITH?

KENNY DALGLISH. I only had one season with him but I saw how good he was.

BEST PLAYER YOU PLAYED AGAINST?

NO hesitation, George Best. I played against him many times but also with him at Fort Lauderdale. I was his room-mate and he was terrific on and off the field.

TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER?

SHANKS giving me my debut in 1960. I replaced Billy Liddell at outside-right. He was a Liverpool icon but was coming to the end. I went on to establish myself aged 18.

BEST GOAL YOU SCORED?

WE won the FA Cup for the first time in 1965 and I scored a late winner in the Fifth Round at Bolton, heading in Peter Thompson’s cross. I didn’t head many and that was crucial.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

MY Liverpool appearance record. Jamie Carragher and Stevie Gerrard reached just over 700. Records are there to be broken but it will take some doing to break mine.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR CAREER?

A TEACHER called Joe Burns, who lived next door to Chris Lawler. He really pushed me.

MOST MEMORABLE GAME?

AGAINST Inter Milan in the European Cup semifinal at Anfield in 1965 a few days after winning the FA Cup. We won 3-1 and I scored with a freekick we’d been trying to make work for ages.

BEST STORY ABOUT A TEAM-MATE?

ONE that sums up Bob Paisley. We were training ahead of our first European Cup Final in 1977 and I’d been sub when we played Man United in the Cup Final the previous Saturday. Bob jogged up beside me and said: “Do you want to play in Rome?” I looked at him and said: “Of course.” He said: “OK, you’re playing,” and ran away.

SECRET ABOUT YOU?

I’M the reason why Nobby Stiles did his jig around Wembley after the World Cup win without his teeth! Nobby gave them to me wrapped in a tissue before the game, with instructions to return them at full-time. They were in my pocket – but I couldn’t get to the pitch in time!