19th November

Happy birthday Gary
1965 - Gary Ablett was born in Liverpool. He signed on at Anfield as a professional on his eighteenth birthday, going on to make 147 reds appearances, scoring just once – in only his second game. He helped us to two League titles, FA Cup and FA Charity Shield before being sold to Everton by Graeme Souness for £750,000 in January 1992, with whom he won a second FA Cup. He returned to the club in the summer of 2006 to take over as Reserve Team Manager, leading them to the national title in his second season, although he left at the end of the following campaign. He sadly died in January 2012, aged just 46.
1993 – Keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was born in Camden, north London. He left Tottenham Hotspur to join the reds in 2014, moving on to Swindon Town in July 2016 after a successful loan spell there.

Red farewells
1977 - John Toshack made his 246th and final reds appearance in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City, setting up the goal for Kenny Dalglish.
1898 – Left-back Tom Wilkie played his 64th and last game for the club as we lost 3-0 at Bury as Jimmy Settle struck two of his eleven goals past us, with Michael Kelly also on target.

Anfield trebles
1921 - Centre-forward Danny Shone bagged a treble in our 4-0 defeat of Middlesbrough, with Tommy Lucas adding a penalty.
1927 - We faced Boro again in the First Division, holding them to a 1-1 draw at Ayresome Park, with Harry Chambers on the scoresheet.

1932 - Gordon Hodgson scored one of his seventeen reds trebles as we thrashed Derby County 6-1 in a top-flight meeting, with right-back Bob Done playing his hundredth League game. Dave Wright and Syd Roberts also netted to add to a George Collin own goal. Peter Ramage’s consolation was one of his five strikes past the reds.

Crouchie not yet off the mark
2005 - Steve Finnan reached a century of reds games as we beat Portsmouth 3-0 at Anfield. Peter Crouch saw his penalty saved as he still awaited his first goal for the club. Fortunately, Bolo Zenden converted the rebound and Djibril Cissé and Fernando Morientes were also on target to secure victory. We ended the game with ten men after Xabi Alonso had to limp off after we had used all three of our substitutes. This was Alain Perrin’s final game as Pompey boss.

Tons up
2016 – Emre Can played his hundredth reds game as we drew 0-0 in a League game at Southampton, despite dominating the game.
2000 - We reached a century of goals against under Gérard Houllier’s sole charge as we lost 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur. Robbie Fowler nabbed our consolation strike, with Les Ferdinand netting the last of his six strikes against the reds, and Tim Sherwood scoring the final one of his three goals past us.

Leeds thumped
1966 - We secured our record equal victory over Leeds United as goals from Chris Lawler, Peter Thompson, Ian St. John and a Geoff Strong brace handed us a 5-0 top-flight win at Anfield.
1955 - We also faced Leeds, going down 4-2 at Elland Road in a Second Division encounter. Billy Liddell netted from the spot, with Alan Arnell also on the scoresheet for the reds. John Price played his only senior reds game this day, at left-back. The legendary John Charles bagged a brace for the home side, with Harold Brook and Jack Overfield also on target while full-back Ray Lambert played his 342nd and last game for the reds.

More births and a death
1994 – Reserves forward Jack Dunn was born in Liverpool. He scored while making his first senior appearance in our post-season friendly at Shamrock Rovers in May 2014, moving on to Tranmere Rovers in June 2017 after being released by the reds.
1993 – Spanish midfielder Jesús Fernández Sáez, known as Suso, was born in Cádiz. He signed on as a professional on his seventeenth birthday, having left his hometown club the previous summer. He made 21 senior appearances, scoring once before signing on with AC Milan in January 2015.

1931 - Defender Ernest Peake died. He arrived as a Welsh international from his hometown club Aberystwyth Town in May 1908, netting six times in 55 games.

The cup can be cruel
1892 - We suffered our first ever FA Cup defeat, losing 2-1 to Northwich Victoria at their Drill Field ground in the Third Qualifying Round. Tom Wyllie scored our consolation, while outside-left Andrew Kelvin was making his sixth and last reds appearance.

Ton up for Jan
1986 – Coventry City held us to a goalless draw in our League Cup Fourth Round tie at Highfield Road as Jan Mølby reached a century of reds games. We won the replay a week later, going on to reach the Final once again that season.

Eph at home with the League
1919 - Right-back Ephraim Longworth played for the Football League in their 2-2 draw with an Irish League side at Anfield.

Future reds on target
2014 – Chelsea’s Mohamed Salah scored as Egypt lost an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-1 in Tunisia. Kolo Touré, ex-red Carl Medjani and future reds Naby Keïta and Sadio Mané all also featured in qualifiers that day.
2008 – Milan Jovanović struck twice as Serbia thumped Bulgaria 6-1 in a friendly in Belgrade.
1974 - David Johnson bagged a brace as England Under-23’s won 3-2 in a friendly in Portugal, with future red Alan Kennedy putting through his own net.

1980 - Michael Robinson scored his first senior international goal as the Republic of Ireland thrashed Cyprus 6-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road. Steve Heighway and future red Mark Lawrenson also played in what remains the Republic’s record World Cup win. Meanwhile, Terry McDermott and Phil Neal featured in England’s 2-1 World Cup defeat of Switzerland at Wembley.
2023 – Dominik Szoboszlai bagged a brace while captaining Hungary to a 3-2 defeat of Montenegro in a European Championships qualifier in Budapest. Mohamed Salah and future red Giorgi Mamardashvili both also played for their countries, with Steve Clarke taking charge of Scotland.

International beginnings and ends
2019 – Simon Mignolet won his first cap for Belgium since joining Club Brugge in their 6-1 European Championships qualifying thumping of Cyprus in Brussels, with ex-red Christian Benteke bagging a brace. Gini Wijnaldum netted a hat-trick while captaining his country for the first time as the Netherlands beat Estonia 5-0 in another qualifier in Amsterdam, while ex-red Philippe Coutinho scored in Brazil’s 3-0 win over South Korea in Abu Dhabi, his only goal and last cap while on loan at Bayern München, with future red Arthur Melo playing for the last time while with Barcelona. Emre Can played for Germany for the last time while with Juventus, in their 6-1 trouncing of Northern Ireland in a qualifier in Frankfurt. Alisson Becker, Rhian Brewster, Bobby Duncan, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi, Harry Wilson, future reds Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, and ex-reds Joe Allen, Steve Clarke, Péter Gulácsi all also represented their countries that day, with Bernard Diomède managing France Under-20’s to a 2-1 friendly defeat of the Netherlands in Salon-de-Provence.
2009 – Future red Emre Can played for Germany Under-16’s in their 4-1 win in Turkey.
2018 - Ryan Babel won his last cap as a Beşiktaş J.K. player as the Netherlands drew 2-2 in a UEFA Nations League group game in Germany, with Virgil van Dijk on target while skippering a side that also included Gini Wijnaldum. On the same day, Curtis Jones played for England Under-18’s as they beat Belgium 3-1 in Murcia to win a friendly tournament, while Adam Lewis featured for England Under-20’s. Meanwhile, Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-20’s as they beat Norway 1-0 in a friendly.

2003 - Future red Momo Sissoko made his debut for Mali in their 1-0 friendly defeat of Morocco in Casablanca. Meanwhile, future reds loanee keeper Paul Jones won his final cap as a Southampton player, and 37th in total, as they lost the second leg of their Euro 2004 play-off with Russia 1-0 at the Millennium Stadium. John Arne Riise faced future clubmate Xabi Alonso as Spain were 3-0 victors in Norway to win their Euro 2004 play-off 5-1 on aggregate. Future reds Ragnar Klavan, Pepe Reina and Albert Riera all also represented their countries that day.

2008 – Craig Bellamy won his last cap as a West Ham United player, netting the only goal as skipper as John Toshack’s Wales faced Daniel Agger’s Denmark in a friendly in Copenhagen. Scott Carson made his only senior appearance since joining West Bromwich Albion as England beat Germany 2-1 in another friendly in Berlin. Future reds Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson and ex-reds Peter Crouch and David James also featured. Dirk Kuyt netted for the Netherlands in their 3-1 defeat of Sweden in Eindhoven, with Ryan Babel and future reds coach John Heitinga also in action, while Fernando Torres was on target in Spain’s 3-0 defeat of Chile in Villarreal, with Xabi Alonso, Álvaro Arbeloa, Pepe Reina and Albert Riera all also featuring. Javier Mascherano captained his country as Argentina beat Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park, with future red Maxi Rodríguez on target in Diego Maradona’s first game in charge. David N’Gog won his first cap for France Under-21’s as they beat Denmark 1-0 in Aalborg, with future red Mamadou Sakho also playing.

On the same day, Yossi Benayoun, Sami Hyypiä, future reds Nuri Şahin and Luis Suárez and ex-reds Nicolas Anelka, Alou Diarra and Jari Litmanen all also played in friendlies, with ex-red John Arne Riise dismissed in Norway’s 1-0 defeat in the Ukraine. Meanwhile, ex-reds John Barnes, Milan Baroš and Harry Kewell were all involved in victorious World Cup qualifiers.

2013 - Rickie Lambert won his fourth and final cap as a Southampton player as Roy Hodgson’s England lost 1-0 to Germany in a friendly at Wembley, with Steven Gerrard skippering a side that also included Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and future red Adam Lallana. On the same day, Mamadou Sakho struck his first two goals as France beat Ukraine 3-0 in the second leg of their World Cup Play-off in Paris to reach the Finals in Brazil. Mohamed Salah won his last cap as a Basel player as Egypt beat Ghana 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Cairo.

On the same day, Raheem Sterling nabbed a brace while winning his eighth and last cap for England Under-21’s, with future red Danny Ings netting his first two goals at this level and ex-red Tom Ince also on target as they thrashed San Marino 9-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Shrewsbury, their record victory at this level. Lucas Leiva, Simon Mignolet, Pepe Reina, Jack Robinson, future red Dejan Lovren and ex-reds Charlie Adam, Xabi Alonso, Álvaro Arbeloa, Alexander Kačaniklić, Carl Medjani, Raul Meireles, Pepe Reina all also represented their countries that day.

1975 - Joey Jones made his debut for Wales as they beat Austria 1-0 in a friendly in Wrexham. He went on to win a total of 72 caps for his country. Ray Clemence and Kevin Keegan also played in a qualifier that day.
1947 - Right-half and future reds boss Phil Taylor won his third and final cap for England as they beat Sweden 4-2 in a friendly at Highbury.

Other reds games
1989 – We won 2-1 at Millwall thanks to goals from John Barnes and Ian Rush.
1988 – John Aldridge bagged the only goal of our trip to Queens Park Rangers.
1983 – Ian Rush was on target as we beat Stoke City 1-0 at Anfield.
1960 – We won a Second Division fixture 3-1 at Charlton Athletic with right-winger Sam Lawrie scoring at both ends before Roger Hunt and Johnny Wheeler struck.

1949 – Billy Liddell and Ken Brierley netted as we beat Aston Villa 2-1 in L4, with Johnny Dixon bagging the first of his four goals against the reds.
1938 – We lost 2-1 at Brentford with Berry Nieuwenhuys on the scoresheet.
1910 – We lost 1-0 at Notts County.
1904 – We won a Second Division encounter 2-1 at Gainsborough Trinity, with Jack Parkinson converting a penalty and Sam Raybould also scoring.

Gems back home
2002 - Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle won their fifth caps for France Under-21’s in a 3-0 friendly defeat of Yugoslavia at the Stade Jules-Deschaseaux in Le Havre. Future reds keeper Charles Itandje won his first cap at this level in this game, with Grégory Vignal coming on as a substitute, while future red Xabi Alonso was also in Under-21’s action.

Moving on
1999 - Ex-red Mike Marsh signed for Conference side Kidderminster Harriers. He struck four times in 24 appearances in his one season at Aggborough, before joining Southport on a free transfer.
2004 - Ex-reds winger Nicky Rizzo returned to England from Italy to sign for MK Dons. The Aussie netted five times in sixty games for the League Two outfit before returning to his native land in May 2007 to join Perth Glory.

Staying put
2021 - Ex-Academy Coach Neil Critchley signed a new contract as Manager of Blackpool. He led them to a total of 45 wins in 109 games between being appointed in March 2020 and quitting in June 2022 to become Steven Gerrard’s Assistant at Aston Villa.

Also in international action
2022 – Ex-red Ozan Kabak played for Türkiye as they beat Czechia 2-1 in a friendly in Gaziantep.