18th December

Michael named Europe’s greatest
2001 - Michael Owen was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of Real Madrid’s Raúl and Bayern München keeper Oliver Khan. Michael had enjoyed a fantastic year, helping us to claim five trophies, while bagging 31 goals in 49 reds games, and a further six in eight outings for England. Sami Hyypiä was voted joint eighteenth, with Steven Gerrard equal 25th and Harry Kewell joint 28th.

World champion Alexis
2022 – Future red Alexis Mac Allister helped Argentina to win the World Cup for the third time as their Final against Ibrahima Konaté’s France ended 2-2 after ninety minutes and 3-3 after extra time in Qatar, before the Argentines won a shoot-out 4.2.

In comes Stig
1992 - Stig Inge Bjørnebye signed from Rosenborg BK for £600,000. He bagged four goals in 184 reds games before moving on to Blackburn Rovers for £300,000 in June 2000 having helped us to claim the Coca-Cola Cup in 1995.

1996 - Michael Owen signed pro terms, shortly after his seventeenth birthday. He struck 158 times in 297 games for us, moving on to Real Madrid in August 2004 for £8m after seven years’ great service to the reds, having helped us to claim the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, League Cup and FA Charity Shield.
1897 – Scottish forward Abe Hartley signed from Everton for £175 in December 1897, but only notched once in twelve outings before joining Southern League side Southampton the following May.

Michael’s debut
1991 - Michael Thomas made his reds bow as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 win at his boyhood favourites Tottenham Hotspur, with Dean Saunders and Ray Houghton netting our goals after ex-red Paul Walsh had hammered the home side in front.
1993 - We visited White Hart Lane again, with Robbie Fowler grabbing two goals, including a penalty, to add to a Jamie Redknapp strike as we drew 3-3.
1971 - We also faced Spurs, being held to a goalless draw at Anfield.

We aren’t the champions of the world
2005 - The reds narrowly failed to be crowned world champions, having three goals disallowed, at least one of them wrongly, and hitting the bar twice as we lost 1-0 to São Paulo in the Final of the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 in Yokohama, Japan. Brazilian midfielder Mineiro grabbed the goal to end a club record run of eleven consecutive clean sheets.

Danny, the new Ian Rush
2002 - We won 4-3 at Aston Villa in our Worthington Cup Fifth Round tie, once it finally got going after a much-delayed start caused by Villa’s inefficient ticketing arrangements. Our goals came from Steven Gerrard, Milan Baroš and a Danny Murphy brace. Markus Babbel played his 73rd and final reds game but was replaced before the break. Murphy’s first goal was his thirtieth for the reds, all of which came in undefeated games. This proud record came to an end when he headed his fortieth reds goal in our Carling Cup defeat by Bolton Wanderers in December 2003. Darius Vassell converted a spot-kick for the home side, with Thomas Hitzlsperger also on target before a Dion Dublin strike deflected in off Stéphane Henchoz.

Naby again
2019 - Naby Keïta scored in his third consecutive game as we beat Mexican side Monterrey 2-1 in our FIFA Club World Cup Semi-final in Qatar, with James Milner playing his 200th reds game. Rogelio Funes Mori netted a quick-fire equaliser, but substitute Roberto Firmino bagged a stoppage-time winner. An injury crisis meant that skipper Jordan Henderson had to play the game at centre-back.

Red centurions
1965 – Winger Peter Thompson made his hundredth League appearances for the reds as we held Newcastle United to a goalless draw at St. James’ Park, remaining top of the table.
1994 – Centre-half Mark Wright reached a century of reds outings as we drew 0-0 at Chelsea.

Keeping birthdays
1984 - Ex-Academy keeper Paul Harrison was born in Liverpool. He never made a first-team appearance before being released in July 2005, although he made it as far as the bench on thirteen occasions. He is now captaining Welsh Premier League side The New Saints. He is perhaps sadly best remembered as the son of one of the Hillsborough victims.
1999 – Keeper Dan Atherton was born in Haydock. He was with the reds since the age of twelve, being released in the summer of 2020.

Another debutant
1909 - Half-back John McConnell made his reds debut as we lost 3-1 at Aston Villa, with Jack Parkinson netting our consolation from the spot. Joe Bache struck two of his nine goals against the reds, with Harry Hampton bagging one of his fifteen past us.

More joy against Villa
We have faced Aston Villa in the top flight on this day in history on a further four occasions, winning three and drawing the other match.
1920 - Dick Johnson struck twice as we won 4-1 at Anfield, with Harry Lewis and Donald McKinlay, from the spot, also netting. Billy Walker struck the first of his five goals against the reds.
1948 - Cyril Done scored as we were held to a 1-1 draw in L4 as full-back Ray Lambert reached a century of reds games.
1982 - David Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Kennedy and Ian Rush were all on the scoresheet as we won 4-2 at Villa Park, with Gary Shaw and Peter Withe scoring for the home side.
2011 – We won a Premiership encounter 2-0 at Villa Park thanks to early goals from Craig Bellamy and Martin Škrtel. Luis Suárez hit the woodwork to make it sixteen times in total we had suffered that fate this season.

Subbed on and off
1999 - Vladimír Šmicer came on as a substitute, and was later himself substituted, as we beat Coventry City 2-0 on a ‘Shankly Day’ at Anfield. Michael Owen and Titi Camara were on target. On the same day, Steven Gerrard was banned from driving for a year after failing a breath test.

East End despair
We have twice met West Ham United in the First Division on this day in history, without managing to score a goal.
1926 - We were held to a goalless draw at Anfield, with defender Bill Cockburn playing his 67th and final reds game.
1976 – We went down 2-0 at Upton Park, thanks to goals from Trevor Brooking and Billy Jennings.

Brucie comes to England
1979 - Bruce Grobbelaar joined Crewe Alexandra on loan from Vancouver Whitecaps. He made 24 appearances for the Alex, even getting himself on the scoresheet once!

Double treble
1943 - Robert Beattie and Cyril Done both scored hat-tricks as we thumped Tranmere Rovers 9-1 in a Wartime League fixture at Prenton Park. Joffre Gulliver, Jack Balmer and Don Welsh were also on the scoresheet.

Neals in and out
1985 - Phil Neal was named Player/Manager of Bolton Wanderers. He stayed in charge until he was sacked in May 1992, leading them to the Freight Rover Trophy Final in his first season, before the Trotters were relegated to the basement division the next year, although they immediately bounced back into the Third Division. He could not lead them any higher, despite twice making the play-offs. He also helped them to claim the Sherpa Van Trophy in 1989.
1998 - Phil Neal’s son Ashley was released by Peterborough United. He had spent the early 1990’s as a defender in the stiffs at Anfield.

KHR on target
1991 - Future red Karl-Heinz Riedle netted as Germany beat Luxembourg 4-0 in a Euro ’92 qualifier in Leverkusen.

Managerial moves
2011 - Markus Babbel was sacked as Manager of Hertha BSC Berlin. He had taken over in July 2010, leading them back into the Bundesliga in his first season as they won thirty of his 55 games in charge.
2015 – Recent short-lived Assistant Manager Sean O'Driscoll was appointed Head Coach of Walsall but was sacked just three months later.
2023 – Ex-Academy Coach Michael Beale was appointed Manager of Sunderland. He was sacked after just three months and twelve games in charge, the shortest stint in their history.

Other reds games
1954 – John Evans netted as we were thumped 4-1 in a Second Division encounter at Doncaster Rovers. Bert Tindill struck the first two of his five goals against the reds, with Eddie McMorran and Johnny Mooney also scoring.
1937 – We beat Arsenal 2-0 at Anfield thanks to goals from John Shafto and Berry Nieuwenhuys.
1897 – We lost 1-0 to Blackburn Rovers in L4.

On the move
2014 – Hungarian forward Krisztián Németh joined Sporting Kansas City from Roda JC Kerkrade, bagging ten goals in 24 outings to date. On the same day, Mario Balotelli was banned for one match and fined £25,000 after being found guilty by the FA of a racist/anti-Semitic post on Instagram.

Also in international action
1993 – Future red Christian Ziege played as Germany beat the USA 3-0 in California, with fellow future red Brad Friedel also featuring.
1994 – Future red Gary McAllister captained Scotland as they won a European Championships qualifier 1-0 in Greece.