2nd August

SteG again
2005 - Steven Gerrard scored in his fifth consecutive European game, a club record. We beat FBK Kaunas 2-0 at Anfield to reach the Third Qualifying Round of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate. Djibril Cissé was also on target, with both scorers having come off the bench.

Crazy Horse stabled
1979 - Emlyn Hughes left Anfield to join Wolverhampton Wanderers for £90,000. He had signed from Blackpool for a club record £65,000 in February 1967, netting 49 times in 665 games. He helped us to claim two European Cups, four League titles, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields. His greatest season was probably 1976/77 when he captained the side to within a whisker of a unique treble, as well as being voted the Football Writers’ Player of the Year. Sadly, he died in November 2004, aged just 57.

Brendan off to a winning start
2012 - Brendan Rodgers took charge of his first senior game, with Fabio Borini debuting in our 1-0 victory against Gomel in Belarus in the UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round. Jamie Carragher captained the side while playing his 700th reds game, with Glen Johnson reaching a century of reds appearances. Stewart Downing bagged the only goal of the game, as we came under the cosh for much of it.

On and off the mark
2008 – David N’Gog struck his first reds goal as we thumped Rangers 4-0 at Ibrox. Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun also scored with Xabi Alonso converting a penalty.
2014 – New signing Rickie Lambert had a penalty saved in our 2-0 defeat of AC Milan in an International Champions Cup group game in North Carolina. Joe Allen and Suso were both on target.
2015 – Christian Benteke netted in his first reds outing as we won 2-1 at Swindon Town, with winger Sheyi Ojo also bagging his first goal for the club. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino and keeper Ryan Fulton all played their first reds games.

Happy birthday Mad Erik
1969 - Erik Meijer was born in Meerssen. The big, mad Dutchman signed on a free transfer from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in July 1999, but could only net twice in just 27 appearances, before returning to Germany to join Hamburger SV on a free transfer, after a short loan spell with Preston North End. He retired from playing in 2006 after skippering Alemannia Aachen back to the German top flight after a 36-year absence.

Farewell Nessie
2002 - Bill Shankly’s loyal wife Nessie sadly passed away. They were happily married for 37 years until Bill’s death.

The reds and Madrid
2017 – We drew 1-1 with Club Atlético de Madrid in the Audi Cup Final in Munich, with Roberto Firmino on target from the spot, before losing a penalty shoot-out 5-4.
2002 - We lost 2-0 at Real Madrid in the opening game of their Trofeo Centenario. Luis Figo and Javier Portillo scored the goals.
1999 - Short-lived reds striker Nicolas Anelka joined Real Madrid from Arsenal for a then-staggering £23m fee. He only grabbed four goals in 24 games while at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, before moving on to Paris St. Germain the following summer.

Xabi’s farewell
2009 – Xabi Alonso played his final reds game as we lost a friendly 3-0 to R.C.D. Espanyol at their new Estadio Cornellá-El Prat in Barcelona.

Lee out on loan
2007 - Reserves midfielder Lee Peltier joined Yeovil Town on loan. He played 23 times for the Glovers before signing on permanently in January 2008.

Signing on
2007 - Right-back Steve Finnan signed a new contract until 2009. He struck just once in 217 reds appearances following his £3.5m capture from Fulham in July 2003, helping us to claim the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield, although he moved to R.C.D. Espanyol in September 2008.
2022 – Diogo Jota penned a new deal with the reds. He signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for an initial £41m in September 2020, making a stellar start to his reds career, so far notching 41 times in 113 outings in his first three seasons, helping us to claim the FA Cup and League Cup.

Au revoir
2002 - New signing Alou Diarra was shipped back to his native France on a season-long loan to Le Havre AC, where he teamed up with future reds Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
2005 - Le Tallec signed for Sunderland on loan. He bagged five goals in 31 games as the Black Cats were relegated back to the Championship with just three wins and fifteen points. On the same day, ex-reds defender Steve Staunton signed for Walsall on a free transfer from Coventry City. He played ten times for the Saddlers.

1893 – Scottish inside-right Jock Smith left the reds to sign for The Wednesday. He had joined from Sunderland in May 1892, bagging five goals in eleven outings. Sadly, he committed suicide in January 1911 after the death of one of his children two days before.

Mixed fortunes in Norway
1993 - We thumped Norwegian side Raufoss 7-2, with John Barnes, Jamie Redknapp and Mark Walters each netting two apiece, with Steve Nicol also on the scoresheet.
1995 - We lost 3-0 to a Norway XI in the Norway Cup Festival 95 in Vålerenga.

International bow
2015 – Future red Wataru Endō won his first senior cap as Japan lost 2-1 to North Korea in the EAFF East Asian Cup in China.

Young champions
2009 - Conor Coady, Jack Robinson, Andre Wisdom and future red Conor Thomas all played as England Under-17’s won the Nordic Tournament by beating Scotland 3-2 after extra time in the Final in Norway.
2011 – Philippe Coutinho scored his first goal for Brazil Under-20’s as they beat Austria 3-0 in a World Championship Finals group game in Colombia. Meanwhile, fellow future red Mohamed Salah appeared for Egypt as they beat Panama 1-0 in the same competition.

Reds in Ireland
1978 - We beat a Bass League Selection 3-1 at Lansdowne Road with Graeme Souness, Joey Jones and Jimmy Case all netting.
1996 - Robbie Fowler grabbed a brace as we drew 2-2 with Linfield at Windsor Park.

Going Dutch
We have twice played pre-season games in the Netherlands on this day in history.
1969 - We drew 1-1 at Feyenoord when Peter Thompson netted for the reds.
1975 - John Toshack and Peter Cormack were on target as we won 2-0 at Utrecht.

1972 - We also visited West Germany on this day, with Peter Cormack’s first reds strike and a Tommy Smith goal seeing off VfL Bochum 2-0 at their Ruhrstadion.

Other friendlies
1958 - We drew 2-2 with an Edinburgh Select side at Tynecastle Park, with Billy Liddell bagging a brace.
1968 - We won 5-3 at Hull City, thanks to goals from Peter Thompson, Emlyn Hughes and Roger Hunt, and a Bobby Graham brace.

1985 - We lost 1-0 at Second Division Oldham Athletic.
1990 - We held Fiorentina to a goalless draw at their Stadio Artemio Franchi, in a game that was arranged as part of the Glenn Hysén transfer deal.
2023 – We lost 4-3 to Bayern München in the Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy 2023, with Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk both on target in the first half. Luis Díaz also scored.

Off to Israel
2001 - It was announced that we would be opening our Champions League campaign in Tel-Aviv, as Maccabi Haifa had agreed to move the game to a larger stadium, after they had defeated Finnish side Haka in the previous qualifying round. However, Haka were soon reinstated in the competition at the Israelis’ expense, who had fielded a suspended player.

Babel the champion
2008 – Ryan Babel played as the Netherlands Olympic XI drew 1-1 with their Ivory Coast counterparts in Hong Kong to secure the ING Cup, having already beaten Cameroon.

Managerial comings and goings
1982 - 1960’s right-half Gordon Milne was appointed Manager of Leicester City following Jock Wallace’s departure, leading them back into the top flight in his first season in charge. He stayed in the role for four seasons, signing Gary McAllister from Motherwell during his final season, and then became General Manager for a while.
2000 - David Hodgson resigned as Manager of basement side Darlington for the second time. He had four years in charge in this spell at Feethams, just missing out on promotion in his last season there.

Other moves
2001 - Future reds midfielder Bolo Zenden joined Chelsea from Barcelona for £7.5m. He struck four times in 59 games for the Blues, many as substitute.
2010 – Ex-reserves centre-half Danny O’Donnell signed for Shrewsbury Town, netting once in seven outings before joining Stockport County, initially on loan.
2013 – Midfielder Emre Can joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen from Bayern München, going on to score four times in 39 games in his one season at the BayArena.

2017 – Left-back Aly Cissokho signed for Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor. He played 32 times before moving on to Antalyaspor two years later.
2018 – Young midfielder Herbie Kane joined Doncaster Rovers on loan, netting seven times in 49 outings while with Donny. On the same day, future keeper Andy Lonergan signed for Middlesbrough, but made only four senior appearances.
2021 – Ex-reds winger Stewart Downing announced his retirement from playing, having most recently been with Blackburn Rovers.

Other youngsters in action
2006 - Reds youngsters Michael Collins and Shane O'Connor both featured as the Republic of Ireland beat Serbia 2-0 in an Under-17’s tournament in Hungary.
2007 – Future red Nikola Sarić played as Denmark Under-17’s lost 1-0 to Norway in a tournament game in Vejle.
2014 – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Herbie Kane played for England Under-17’s as they lost 1-0 to host nation Denmark in their Nordic Tournament third place play-off.