7th August

Signing on
2009 - Alberto Aquilani signed from Roma for an initial fee of €20m. He struck twice in 28 reds games, having struggled with injuries and illness in his first campaign at Anfield, spending the next two seasons on loan at Juventus and AC Milan before joining Fiorentina on a free transfer in August 2012.
2012 – Luis Suárez signed a new contract. He had arrived from Ajax for a club record fee of up to €26.5m in January 2011, netting 82 times in 133 reds games before joining Barcelona for a club record £75m in July 2014.

Stan on the way out
1991 - Steve Staunton was sold to Aston Villa for £1.1m. He had struck six times in ninety reds appearances in his first spell, helping us to clinch the League and FA Cup, and went on to play 263 times for Villa before returning to L4 in July 1998 for a further goal in 58 reds games.

Five debuts
1999 - We kicked off our League campaign with a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday. Titi Camara scored on his debut, with Dietmar Hamann, Sami Hyypiä, Erik Meijer, Vladimír Šmicer and Sander Westerveld all also making their first-class reds bows. David Thompson came on from the bench and was later himself substituted. Robbie Fowler netted our other goal.

Losing charitably
1971 - We lost the FA Charity Shield 1-0 to Leicester City at Filbert Street. The goal came from Steve Whitworth, the only one he managed in 399 games for the Foxes! Arsenal had won the double the previous season but did not take part, so the match was played between the FA Cup Final runners-up and Second Division champions.

In comes Hugh
1874 - Scottish inside-left Hugh Morgan was born in Longriggend, Lanarkshire. He struck seventeen times in 68 reds games after his arrival from St. Mirren in March 1898 for £200. He was top scorer in his first full season at Anfield, also winning two caps while on our books before joining Blackburn Rovers in June 1900.

Pre-season trebles
1979 - David Fairclough bagged a hat-trick in our pre-season 5-2 defeat of an FBU Select side at the Odense Stadion in Denmark. Graeme Souness and Sammy Lee netted the others. Avi Cohen played his first reds game since joining the club, although he had appeared for both sides in a friendly against Israel two months before signing on.
1994 - Robbie Fowler grabbed all the goals as we beat Hertha BSC Berlin 3-0.
1995 - Steve McManaman scored a hat-trick in a benefit match against a Yeovil Town/Nick Tanner XI at Huish Park, in aid of our ex-defender. We ran out 7-1 winners, with Jamie Redknapp, Nigel Clough and Stig Inge Bjørnebye also hitting the target, to add to a Robbie Fowler penalty.

Amsterdam tournament
1977 - David Johnson grabbed the only goal of the game as we beat Barcelona in the third-place play-off of the Amsterdam Tournament at the Olympisch Stadion.
1976 - We also visited the Netherlands, with Terry McDermott netting as we drew with Roda JC.
1983 - We returned to the country again, when Mark Lawrenson bagged a brace, with Kenny Dalglish also on target as we drew the third-place play-off of the Rotterdam AD Toernooi 3-3 with Feyenoord, before losing a penalty shoot-out 4-1.

Other friendlies
2023 – We beat Sportverein Darmstadt 1898 e.V. 3-1 at Deepdale, with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota both netting before the break. Luis Díaz completed the scoring on the hour mark.
2018 – Fabinho missed an early penalty in our 3-1 defeat of Torino at Anfield, with centre-half George Johnston making his first reds outing. Roberto Firmino and Gini Wijnaldum both struck inside the opening half hour, with Daniel Sturridge adding the late third.
2016 – We were trounced 4-0 at Jürgen Klopp’s former club 1. FSV Mainz 05, just a day after thrashing Barcelona by the same score in another friendly at Wembley.

2013 – Young Spanish forward Luis Alberto scored his first reds goal as we won 4-1 at Vålerenga, with Iago Aspas, Martin Kelly and Raheem Sterling also on target in Oslo.
1993 - We won 4-0 at Burnley with Ian Rush grabbing a brace, and Mark Walters and Steve McManaman also scoring.
1989 - We were held to a goalless draw by HJK Helsinki at the Olympiastadion.

1985 - Ian Rush and Mark Lawrenson were on target as we came from behind to beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 at The Valley.
1970 - Bobby Graham grabbed our consolation as we lost 3-1 at Middlesbrough.
1983 – An Ex-Liverpool All Stars side faced a Blackpool Red Rose XI at Bloomfield Road in a match in aid of the Save Blackpool Football Club Appeal Fund. The reds side included legends such as Ian Callaghan, Chris Lawler, Tommy Smith, Ian St. John and Ron Yeats.

Off on loan
2003 - Centre-forward Neil Mellor joined First Division West Ham United on loan. He only managed two goals in 21 games for the Irons as they went through a series of managers.
2014 – Australian left-back Brad Smith joined Swindon Town on loan, playing ten times for the Robins. On the same day, Spanish centre-half Rafael Páez moved to Bologna for the season. He made eight senior appearances before joining S.D. Eibar the following January.
2019 – Centre-half Nat Phillips signed a new contract and then joined VfB Stuttgart on loan for the season, playing 22 times either side of returning to Anfield to play against Everton in the FA Cup in January 2020. On the same day, Scottish centre-half George Johnston was sold to Feyenoord for €300,000.

Gresty Road for the first time
1999 - Reserves defender Stephen Wright was loaned to Crewe Alexandra. He only made six appearances for the Alex before returning to Anfield, although he joined them for a second loan spell later the same year.

Brad’s half-century
1997 - Future red Brad Friedel won his fiftieth cap for the USA as they lost 1-0 to Ecuador in a friendly in Baltimore.

International reds on target
1982 - Substitute Kevin Keegan netted for Europe as they beat the Rest of the World 3-2 in a FIFA/UNICEF Match at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
1991 - Future red Sami Hyypiä scored his first international goal at any level as Finland Under-18’s beat Poland 3-0 in a friendly in Riihimäki.
1996 – Future red John Arne Riise bagged his final Under-15’s goal as Norway thrashed the Faroe Islands 11-0 in Raufoss.

Olympian reds
2008 – Ryan Babel, Lucas Leiva and Javier Mascherano all represented their countries in Olympics Finals group games in China. Brazil beat Belgium 1-0, Argentina overcame the Ivory Coast 2-1, while the Netherlands were held to a goalless draw by Nigeria.
2016 – Takumi Minamino featured as Japan drew 2-2 with Colombia in an Olympics group stage fixture in Brazil, with fellow future red Wataru Endō captaining the side.

Razor tips the scales
2002 - Ex-red Neil Ruddock was transfer-listed by Second Division Swindon Town for being overweight! However, no buyers could be found, and he remained at the County Ground until the turn of the year.

Also on the move
1985 - Future reds forward Dean Saunders joined Brighton & Hove Albion from Swansea City on a free transfer. He struck 26 times in 86 games while at the Goldstone Ground, before being sold to Oxford United for £60,000 in March 1987.
2013 – Future reds coach Gary O’Neil signed for Queens Park Rangers, netting once in 33 appearances as he helped them get promoted to the Premier League in his only campaign at Loftus Road.

Tosh the boss
2011 - John Toshack was appointed Manager of FYR Macedonia. He led them to just one victory in their final four qualifiers for Euro 2012 as they finished fifth in their six-team group, ahead of Andorra only.

More loan moves
1998 - Peter Beardsley re-joined Fulham on loan from Bolton Wanderers, having already had a temporary spell at Craven Cottage at the end of the previous season. He later joined Fulham on a free transfer, racking up a total of 28 appearances for them, and scoring seven times.
2003 – Future reds keeper Brad Jones joined Rotherham United from Middlesbrough on a temporary basis, although he did not make a first-team appearance for the Millers.
2009 - Centre-forward Christian Benteke joined Koninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk on loan from Standard de Liège, netting sixteen times in 38 games.
2012 – Centre-half Daniel Ayala joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Norwich City, netting once in fourteen outings while at the City Ground.

Also in international action
1994 – Future red Haukur Igni Guðnason featured for Iceland Under-17’s as they lost 4-0 to Sweden.