28th May

Milan the European champion
2002 - Milan Baroš featured for the Czech Republic Under 21’s as they clinched the European Championships against France in Switzerland. He only played for the first 45 minutes, with the Czechs winning the tournament in a penalty shoot-out after a goalless match.
1997 - He bagged a brace for the Under-15’s as they thumped Hungary 5-1 in a friendly in Ostrozska Nova Ves.

Disappointing farewells
2022 - Sadio Mané played his 269th and last reds game as we lost the UEFA Champions League Final 1-0 to Real Madrid at the Stade de France outside Paris. The start of the game was delayed due to awful crowd management by the French police and UEFA. Vinícius Júnior bagged the only goal of the game after an hour, one of his five strikes past us to date.
2023 – Diogo Jota netted before Roberto Firmino struck in his final reds game as we took an early two-goal lead at Southampton. James Ward-Prowse and Kamaldeen Sulemana both scored to draw the Saints level at half time, the latter with his first Saints goal. Sulemana and Adam Armstrong both netted to put the home side 4-2 in front, but Cody Gakpo and Jota scored inside a minute to level the scores. Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner all also made their final appearances for the club.

On target for England
1976 - Phil Thompson scored the winner for England, his only goal for his country, as they beat Italy 3-2 in the US Bicentenary Tournament in New York. Future reds coach Joe Corrigan won his first cap, as a substitute, while Phil Neal also played.
1969 - Alun Evans won his fourth and final England Under-23’s cap as they drew 1-1 with Portugal in Funchal. Clubmate Emlyn Hughes netted England’s goal.
2021 – Takumi Minamino bagged a brace as Japan thumped Myanmar 10-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Chiba, with future red Wataru Endō also featuring.

Digger’s debut
1983 - Future red John Barnes made his senior England debut as they were held to a goalless draw in the British International Championships in Northern Ireland. Phil Neal also played.
1988 - Barnes also played for his country, alongside Peter Beardsley and future clubmate Mark Wright, as they beat Switzerland 1-0 in a friendly in Lausanne.

Staying and going
2018 – It was announced that Brazilian midfielder Fabinho would sign on 1st July for an initial £39m. He scored eleven times in 219 outings across his first five seasons, helping us to claim the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield.
2013 – Manchester City’s centre-half Kolo Touré agreed to join the reds on a free transfer in July of that year, once his contract had expired. He netted just once in 71 first-team appearances for the reds before being released in July 2016.

2021 – It was announced that centre-half Ibrahima Konaté would sign from RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. on 1st July, already helping us claim the FA Cup and two League Cups. On the same day, ex-red Mikel San José had his contract with Birmingham City terminated by mutual consent after 28 outings in his one season with the Blues.
2020 – Midfielder Abdi Sharif signed a new contract. He was with the reds since the age of nine, netting in the shoot-out as we beat Manchester City to claim the FA Youth Cup in 2019 but left the club in the summer of 2021. On the same day, Barry Lewtas was appointed Under-23’s Coach, having been with the Academy since 2013, and was in charge of that FA Youth Cup-winning side.

2009 - Fernando Torres agreed a new improved contract to tie him to the club until 2013, although he left for a Chelsea in January 2011 for a £50m fee. On the same day, it was announced that reserves boss Gary Ablett was to leave at the end of the month.
1924 – Defender Bill Cockburn signed from Stockport County. He played 67 times before joining Queens Park Rangers in July 1928.
1913 – Outside-right Fred Staniforth signed from Grimsby Town. He only made three senior appearances before the war intervened.

1912 – Scottish half-back John McConnell left the reds for Aberdeen. He had netted just once in 53 first-team appearances leading up to the First World War after signing from Airdrieonians for £80 in April 1909, including one in goal in only his second game!
1902 - Inside-right George Livingstone signed from Celtic for £600, a week after being on the losing side in the Scottish Cup Final. He notched four times in 32 games before moving on to Manchester City in May 1903, with whom he won an FA Cup winners’ medal in 1904.

On target for the Irish
1987 - Ronnie Whelan scored his first full international goal in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-0 European Championships qualifying win in Luxembourg. John Aldridge and future red Ray Houghton both also played.
1989 - Ray Houghton netted as the Irish beat Malta 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road. John Aldridge, Steve Staunton, Ronnie Whelan and ex-red Kevin Sheedy all also featured.

A friendly triumph
1922 - We thumped an Emilia Select side 6-1 in Modena, the second game of our six-match Italian tour. Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers scored a hat-trick, with Harry Beadles bagging a brace and Cyril Gilhespy also on target.

In the Middle East
1979 - We met the Israeli national side in a friendly, with the game at the Ramat-Gan Stadium ending 3-3. Avi Cohen played for Israel in the first half, before making his first reds appearance after the interval, two months before he actually joined the reds. Jimmy Case converted a penalty with Ray Kennedy and David Fairclough also netting for the reds as we took a three-goal lead.

Tom’s day
1910 – Half-back Tommy Gardner was born in Huyton. He signed as an amateur from Orrell in July 1928, and then professionally the following April, but played only five reds games before moving on to Grimsby Town in May 1931. He was eventually capped twice for England during his stint at Aston Villa.

Gary Mac for Scotland
1990 - Gary McAllister won his third Scotland cap, and last one as a Leicester City player, as they lost 2-1 in a friendly in Malta. Gary Gillespie also played in that game.

International bows
1988 - West Ham United’s Julian Dicks made his debut for England Under-21’s as a substitute in their 1-1 friendly draw with Switzerland in Lausanne.
2018 – Mario Balotelli played for Italy for the first time since moving to Nice, scoring as they beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 in Switzerland. On the same day, Liam Millar won his first cap for Canada Under-23’s in their goalless draw with Portugal Under-19’s in France.

Souey twice
1983 - Graeme Souness skippered Scotland as they lost 2-0 to Wales at Ninian Park in the British International Championships. Ex-red Joey Jones was on the winning side.
1985 – Ex-red Souness was also captain as the Scots lost 1-0 to Iceland in a World Cup qualifier in Reykjavik.

2013 – Ex-reds loanee Nuri Şahin captained Turkey in their 3-3 friendly draw with Latvia in Duisburg in Germany.
2016 – Christian Benteke and Divock Origi faced future red Xherdan Shaqiri as Belgium beat Switzerland 2-1 in a friendly in Geneva, with future red Sadio Mané also in international action.

On target in friendlies
2008 - John Arne Riise netted while winning his final cap as a reds player as Norway were held to a 2-2 draw in Oslo by Uruguay, with future red Luis Suárez also on target. Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard struck in England’s 2-0 defeat of the USA at Wembley, with Peter Crouch, future red Glen Johnson and ex-red David James also featuring and future red Joe Cole winning his fiftieth cap. Ex-red Craig Bellamy reached a half century of caps for Wales as they won 1-0 in Iceland under the management of John Toshack. Future red Andy Carroll played for England Under-19’s on the same day.

2014 – Daniel Agger converted a penalty, while winning his final cap as a reds player, as Denmark beat Sweden 1-0 in Copenhagen. On the same day, Brad Smith won his third and last cap for England Under-21’s in their 1-1 draw with South Korea in the Toulon Tournament, while Andy Robertson won his second and last senior cap while with Dundee United as Scotland drew 2-2 with Nigeria in a friendly at Craven Cottage, with ex-red Victor Moses also in action.
2012 – Ex-red Andriy Voronin scored as the Ukraine thumped Estonia 4-0 in Austria, with future red Ragnar Klavan skippering the losing side. Future red Suso played for Spain Under-19’s on the same day.
2010 – Ex-red Robbie Keane bagged a brace, including a penalty, as the Republic of Ireland beat Algeria 3-0 in Dublin. András Simon played for Hungary Under-21’s in their 2-1 friendly defeat in Norway on the same day.

Other reds internationals
Kenny Dalglish twice represented Scotland on this day over the years.
1977 - The Scots held Wales to a goalless draw in the British International Championships at the Racecourse Ground. Joey Jones played for the home side.
1980 - He won his 74th cap as they beat Poland 1-0 in a friendly in Poznan.

Future reds keeper Brad Friedel also twice played for his country on this day, both times in friendlies.
1994 - He featured as the USA drew 1-1 with Greece in New Haven.
1995 - They lost 2-1 to Costa Rica in Tampa.

European Cup joy and despair
2011 – Ex-red Javier Mascherano featured as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley.
1997 - Future red Karl-Heinz Riedle bagged a brace as Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund beat favourites Juventus 3-1 to claim the UEFA Champions League in Munich.

1980 - Two ex-reds faced each other in the European Cup Final in Madrid, with Larry Lloyd’s Nottingham Forest edging out Kevin Keegan’s Hamburger SV 1-0.
2016 - Fernando Torres was on the losing side as Real Madrid beat neighbours Club Atlético de Madrid on penalties after their UEFA Champions League Final ended 1-1 in Milan.

On the move again
1928 - Centre-forward Albert Whitehurst signed from Rochdale in May 1928, having struck 116 goals in 168 outings in the Third Division North. He scored twice in eight reds games, moving on to Bradford City in February 1929.
2008 – Our former substitute keeper Tony Warner was released by Fulham after 26 appearances for the Cottagers, including both our League meetings in 2005/06.
2015 - Rafael Benítez resigned as Manager of SSC Napoli, having led them to 59 victories in 112 games in charge, as they claimed the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his first season. On the same day, Abel Xavier left as Manager of Sporting Clube Farense, having been in charge for six months.
2021 – Keeper Daniele Padelli re-signed for Udinese, making four senior appearances in his first campaign with I Bianconeri.

Babb back in England
2002 - Ex-red Phil Babb joined Sunderland, having recently quit Sporting Clube de Portugal. However, he was unable to keep them in the Premiership in his first season at the Stadium Of Light, making sixty appearances in total.

Also in international action
1992 – Future reds coach Mike Sheron played for England Under-21’s as they held host nation France to a goalless draw in the Toulon Tournament.
1993 – Sheron and Jamie Redknapp appeared for the Under-21’s in their 4-1 win in Poland in a European Championships qualifier.
2004 – Raul Meireles featured as Portugal Under-21’s lost 3-1 to Sweden in a European Championships Finals group game in Germany, while Sami Hyypiä and ex-red Jari Litmanen played for the senior Finland side as they lost 3-1 to Sweden in Tampere.

2005 – Ex-red David James and future reds Joe Cole and Glen Johnson all played in England’s 2-1 win over the USA in Chicago.
2006 – Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle both played for France Under-21’s beat Serbia & Montenegro 2-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Portugal, with Meireles playing for the host nation in their 1-0 won over Germany. Meanwhile, future reds Ragnar Klavan and Nuri Şahin faced each other as Turkey and Estonia drew a friendly 1-1 in Hamburg, with future red Andriy Voronin featuring in the Ukraine’s 4-0 defeat of Costa Rica in Kyiv.

2019 - Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-20’s as they beat Panama 2-0 in a World Cup Finals group game in Poland.
2023 – Jarell Quansah played for England Under-20’s as they were held to a goalless draw by Iraq in a World Championships Finals group game in Argentina.