Crewe striker Ryan Lowe talks us through his football memories
First game watched live? My family have always been big Liverpool fans, and so I was always going to be a Red. My dad, David, used to be a season ticket holder and we travelled around Europe. I can’t exactly remember my first game but it would have been at Anfield. They had some of the greats back then, Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes. I have seen some great games and when I finish playing I would love to get back as much as possible. I still go on Sundays and Wednesdays when Crewe aren’t playing. First football hero? No surprises here, it’s of course Dalglish. I was a young boy then and everyone wanted to be him. It might sound crazy but I think he was off the cuff, entirely natural. Players get coached so much now. But if you look at Lionel Messi, I don’t think he has ever been coached and look at how good he is. First football boots? I will always remember them, they were a pair of Quasar boots. I was playing for my Sunday team, called the Four Swallows, and my dad was obsessed with good leather in football boots – he used to tell me to get them because they were great! First football kit? It was a red Liverpool one but back then I used to wear as many as I could – my dad used to get me loads! I remember having a Leeds kit, and a Barcelona one too. I have a lot of shirts at home and I give them to my son Alfie. He will never need to buy a kit! He is a football fanatic at the minute! First professional game? I was a used substitute when I first arrived at Shrewsbury and my first game was against Macclesfield in a 2-2 draw at Gay Meadow. I made a lot of substitute appearances early on then and I did not mind because I was just making my way in the game. I started when I was 20 and I was rejected a lot back then but in the end I got a chance through Everton strangely. They gave me a trial and they recommended me to Shrewsbury! I went down there and was offered a contract after a week. First goal? My first goal was against Rochdale for Shrewsbury in a 7-1 win! It was a tap-in at the back stick. I got round the full-back and got on the end of a low cross across the box! When you have not been a professional player for very long then it is very nice to get a first goal and it was a big moment for me. First red card? They say that people from Merseyside are a little hot-headed and I am no different – my first red was for a clash of heads. I was at Shrewsbury and we got relegated in the penultimate game of the season against Carlisle. I will always remember it as I was brought on and one of their players went right through me. He said a few choice words and I left one on his nose! The ref saw it and sent me off – I had only been on for ten minutes...