17th June

Happy birthday Jordan
1990 – Midfielder Jordan Henderson was born in Sunderland. He signed from his hometown club for £16m in June 2011 after netting five times in 79 outings while on Wearside. He notched 33 times in 492 reds games, becoming club captain and then helping us to claim the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, two League Cups and FA Community Shield, moving on to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia for a reported £12m in July 2023.
1994 – American midfielder Marc Pelosi was born in Bad Säckingen, Germany. He joined the reds in November 2011 from Californian side De Anza Force, becoming a reserves regular despite a series of serious injuries. He was released in June 2015.

Strong no more
2013 - Utility player Geoff Strong died in Southport after suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. He made 201 reds appearances after moving from Arsenal in November 1964 for a club record £40,000, netting 33 times and winning a League title medal and the FA Charity Shield the year after helping us to our first ever FA Cup triumph. He left the reds to join Coventry City for £29,500 in August 1970.

Other birthdays
1972 - Bjørn Tore Kvarme was born in Trondheim, Norway. He joined the reds in January 1997 on a Bosman free transfer from Rosenborg BK as a replacement for John Scales, and quickly showed his worth. However, high profile errors against Everton and Manchester United dented his confidence. After just 54 first-team appearances, he was sold to Saint-Étienne in August 1999.

1981 – Julian Ward was born in Liverpool. He had held various backroom roles from 2015, rising to Sporting Director from 2022 to 2023. He returned to the club in the summer of 2024 as FSG Technical Director.
1964 – Paul Small was born in Liverpool. One of the club’s masseurs, he came to Melwood from the Widnes rugby union club on a part-time basis in 2001, going full-time a year later.

Jameo sold
1999 - David James was sold to Aston Villa for £1.7m. He had played 277 times for us, helping us to win the Coca Cola Cup in 1995. He only stayed at Villa Park for just under two years, before moving on to West Ham United in July 2001.

Scott’s record
2007 - Scott Carson set a new record for number of England Under-21’s caps, previously held by Jamie Carragher and Gareth Barry. He turned out for the 28th time in a 2-0 defeat of Serbia in a European Championships Finals group game in Nijmegen. He went on to claim 29 caps at this level in total, but this record has since been superseded by future red James Milner with 46 appearances at this level, who also featured in this game. Meanwhile, future red Alberto Aquilani struck his final goal at this level as Italy’s 3-1 defeat of the Czech Republic in Arnhem was not enough to take them through to the next stage.

International exits
2002 - Ex-red Steve Staunton confirmed his retirement from international football, after winning his 102nd cap in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup exit to Spain the night before. He said, “I don’t think my knee could handle a few more years of this to be honest.”
2012 - Christian Poulsen won his last cap as an Évian Thonon Gaillard player, coming off the bench as Denmark lost 2-1 to Germany in the European Championships Finals in Lviv, with Daniel Agger skippering the side. Ex-red Raul Meireles also featured in the tournament, as Portugal beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Kharkiv.

1984 - Midfield terrier Sammy Lee won his fourteenth and final England cap in their goalless friendly match in Chile. Future red John Barnes and ex-red Dave Watson both also featured.
1997 - Future red Mauricio Pellegrino made his third and final appearance for Argentina in their 1-1 Copa América draw with Paraguay in Bolivia. On the same day, Gérard Houllier and Christian Damiano took charge of France Under-20’s as they lost 3-0 to Brazil in a World Championships Finals group game in Malaysia.
2003 – Jon Otsemobor won his sixth and final cap for England Under-20’s as they lost 1-0 to Japan in the Toulon Tournament, with future red Andy Lonergan also in action.

Reds in Europe
2008 – Dirk Kuyt, ex-red Nicolas Anelka and future reds Alberto Aquilani and John Heitinga all featured in the European Championships in Switzerland. France lost 2-0 to Italy in Zurich while the Netherlands beat Romania 2-0 in Berne. This meant that the Dutch topped the group with maximum points while France finished bottom of the same group. Meanwhile, future red Luis Suárez played in a World Cup qualifier as Uruguay thumped Peru 6-0 in Montevideo.
2004 - Steven Gerrard was on target as an England side that also included Michael Owen and ex-red David James beat Switzerland 3-0 in a group game in Portugal.

2000 - Michael Owen faced Dietmar Hamann as Kevin Keegan’s England beat Germany 1-0 in their Euro 2000 fixture in Charleroi. Steven Gerrard won his second cap, coming on as a substitute for his clubmate on the hour mark. Future red Markus Babbel won his 51st and final cap in this game, while Christian Ziege made his final appearance for his country before his switch to Anfield, bringing him to 52 caps in total at this time. Future red Nick Barmby and ex-red Paul Ince both also featured.
1992 - Future red Torben Piechnik came off the bench in Denmark’s 2-1 win over France in Malmo, a result that took them through to the knock-out stages at the expense of their opponents.
2016 – Ex-reds loanee Nuri Şahin won his fiftieth cap for Turkey as they lost 3-0 to Spain in a group stage game in Nice.

At the World Cup
2018 – Ex-red Philippe Coutinho scored as Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland in a group game in Russia, with Roberto Firmino and future reds Alisson Becker and Xherdan Shaqiri also featuring.
2014 – Future red Divock Origi faced ex-red Carl Medjani as Belgium beat Algeria 2-1 in a group game in Belo Horizonte.
2010 – Javier Mascherano skippered Argentina as they beat South Korea 4-1 in Johannesburg, with Maxi Rodríguez also in action. Sotirios Kyrgiakos played as Greece beat Nigeria 2-1 in Bloemfontein, while ex-red Nicolas Anelka featured in France’s 2-0 defeat by Mexico in Polokwane.
1994 - Future red Karl-Heinz Riedle appeared in Germany’s 1-0 defeat of Bolivia in Chicago, their opening game of the tournament.
1990 - Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton and ex-reds John Aldridge and Kevin Sheedy all played in the Republic of Ireland’s goalless draw with Egypt in Palermo.
1958 - Alan A’Court played as England lost 1-0 to the USSR in Gothenburg.

1998 - Future red Rigobert Song played in Cameroon’s 3-0 defeat by Italy in Montpellier.
2007 - Song also played for his country as they beat Rwanda 2-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Garoua.
2002 - Ex-red Brad Friedel featured in the USA’s 2-0 win over Mexico in Jeonju, to set up a Quarter-final showdown with Germany.
1997 - He also played for his country in their 2-1 friendly defeat of Israel in Jacksonville.

Emre on target
2015 – Emre Can scored his only goal for Germany Under-21’s as they drew 1-1 with Serbia in a European Championships Finals group game in Prague. Philippe Coutinho and future red Roberto Firmino both played for Brazil as they lost 1-0 to Colombia in a Copa América group game in Chile on the same day.

On the move
2010 - Keeper Simon Mignolet joined Sunderland from Koninklijke Sint-Truidense Voetbalvereniging for £2m, having helped them to claim the Second Division title and being named as Belgian Goalkeeper of the Year as they avoided relegation. He had even managed to convert a penalty in his 104 senior games before moving to England.
1997 - Stéphane Henchoz joined Blackburn Rovers from Hamburger SV for £3m, joining forces again with Roy Hodgson whom he had worked with at Neuchâtel Xamax. He played 82 times for Rovers, failing to score, before he switched to Anfield for £3.5m in June 1999.

1938 - Centre-forward Fred Howe joined Manchester City. He had struck 36 goals in 94 outings since signing on a free transfer from Hyde United in March 1935. He bagged three reds trebles, including notching four times in our record 6-0 derby victory at Anfield in September 1935.

Backroom changes
2005 - Argentine centre-half Mauricio Pellegrino was released after rarely impressing in his thirteen reds games, having signed from Valencia on a free transfer, five months previously. He had arrived at Anfield with an impressive reputation, having previously won the Spanish League three times and the UEFA Cup, as well as appearing in two Champions League Finals. He then returned to Spain to join Deportivo Alavés, but subsequently returned to join the reds’ backroom staff before following Rafael Benítez to Internazionale.

2004 - Coach Christian Damiano left Anfield after just one season with the reds.
2010 - Gary Ablett stepped down as Manager of Stockport County by mutual consent when new owners took charge after a full season spent in administration.
2013 - Andy Hughes was appointed as the club’s Chief Financial Officer.
2022 – Ex-reds midfielder Jay Spearing was appointed as a Under-18’s Coach at the Academy.

Youngsters on the world stage
2005 - Future red Nabil El Zhar featured in the World Championships Finals as Morocco Under-20’s beat Chile 1-0 in a group stage game in Utrecht, to take them into the last sixteen. They eventually made it as far as the Semi-finals.
2001 – Future red Maxi Rodríguez netted the first goal of the same competition as Argentina beat Finland 2-0 in the same tournament in Buenos Aires, with Daniel Sjölund on the losing side. Future red Kolo Touré played for Ivory Coast on the same day as they drew an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-2 with Egypt in Abidjan.

In the army now
1975 - Bruce Grobbelaar joined the Rhodesian army. He went on to operate as a scout, tracking the movements and dodgi22ng the bullets of Robert Mugabe’s guerrilla fighters.

Also in South Africa
2009 - Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres both featured in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Iraq in a Confederations Cup group game in Bloemfontein.

Bellers wed
2006 - Craig Bellamy married Claire Jensen in the Vale of Glamorgan, just five days before he signed for the reds.

Also in international action
2017 – Marko Grujić faced future red Diogo Jota as Portugal Under-21’s beat Serbia 2-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Poland.
2021 – Fabinho and Roberto Firmino featured as host nation Brazil beat Peru 4-0 in a Copa América group game in Rio de Janeiro. Gini Wijnaldum captained the Netherlands in their 2-0 defeat of Austria in a European Championship Finals group game in Amsterdam, with future red Ryan Gravenberch also playing. Meanwhile, future red Luis Díaz was sent off as Venezuela held Colombia to a goalless draw in the same group as Brazil.
2023 – Andy Robertson, future red Dominik Szoboszlai and ex-reds Naby Keïta and Sadio Mané all captained their countries, with Diogo Jota and future red Giorgi Mamardashvili also in international action and Steve Clarke taking charge of Scotland.