25th November

Happy birthdays
1947 - Winger Steve Heighway was born in Dublin. He signed from Skelmersdale United in May 1970 and made 475 appearances for the reds, scoring 76 times and helping us to win four League titles, two European Cups, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields, before moving to the USA to sign for Minnesota Kicks in 1981. He later returned to the club in 1989 as Youth Development Officer, becoming Academy Director before leaving at the end of the 2006/07 season. He scored on his 25th birthday as we won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, with Kevin Keegan also netting and Martin Chivers bagging one of his seven goals against the reds.

1981 - Xabi Alonso was born in Tolosa. He arrived from Real Sociedad for £10.7m in August 2004, and bagged nineteen goals in 210 reds games, including two strikes from inside his own half, helping us to claim the European Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and FA Community Shield. He moved on to Real Madrid for £30m in August 2009.
1933 - Forward Alan Arnell was born in Chichester. He struck 35 times in 75 reds games having arrived from non-league Worthing in March 1953. He stayed with the club until February 1961 when he was sold to Tranmere Rovers.
1883 – Inside-forward Tommy Green was born in Rock Ferry. He signed from New Brighton in September 1901, netting once in seven outings before moving to Swindon Town in April 1903.

Euro joy
1964 - We beat Belgian champions Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht 3-0 at Anfield in a European Cup Second Round first leg tie, thanks to goals from Ian St. John, Roger Hunt and Ron Yeats, who notched his first goal at Anfield.

Roger’s treble
1961 - Roger Hunt bagged a hat-trick with Jimmy Melia adding a brace in a 5-0 drubbing of Swansea Town at Anfield. This was Sir Roger’s third treble of the season.

Robbie’s first farewell
2001 - Robbie Fowler played the final game in his first spell with the club as Emile Heskey handed us a 1-0 home win over Sunderland, breaking his duck after seventeen games without a goal. Robbie was sacrificed at half-time following the dismissal of Dietmar Hamann for a two-footed tackle on Bernt Haas, joining Leeds United four days later.

Tons up
1933 – Gordon Hodgson played his 300th reds game as we were held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield by West Bromwich Albion. Sam English netted our goal.
2023 - Joël Matip reached a double century of outings for the club as we held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at their Etihad Stadium. Erling Haaland struck in the first half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold bagging a late leveller.

Youngsters celebrating
1988 - Jay Spearing was born in Wallasey. The central midfielder graduated to Melwood in the summer of 2007 after captaining the reds as they retained the FA Youth Cup that May. He made 55 senior appearances without finding the back of the net, moving on to Bolton Wanderers in August 2013 after a season on loan with the Trotters.
1988 – Ex-reserves left-back Robbie Threlfall was born in Liverpool. He was part of FA Youth Cup winning sides in consecutive years, scoring in the first leg of the 2006 Final, and made his first appearance with the first eleven in our pre-season friendly at Wrexham in July 2006. He moved to Bradford City in May 2010 after a successful loan spell, moving on to Morecambe two years later.

Mixed fortunes against Wolves
We have faced Wolverhampton Wanderers three times in the top flight on this day in history, winning one, drawing one and losing the other.
1899 - We drew 1-1 at Anfield with inside-right Johnny Walker on target. Defender Thomas Hunter played the first of his five reds games.
1967 - We won 2-1 when we entertained them again, with Tony Hateley striking in the first minute and Willie Stevenson converting a late penalty, his eighteenth and final goal for the club. The spot-kick was originally taken by Tommy Smith with Evan Williams saving it, but the referee ordered a re-take because the keeper had moved too early, with Stevenson taking responsibility at the second attempt. Future red Alun Evans netted for the visitors.

1980 - We were thumped 4-1 at Molineux, with Phil Neal grabbing our goal. Ex-red Emlyn Hughes bagged their fourth and was then whisked away by Eamonn Andrews to film ‘This Is Your Life’. John Richards netted the last of his five goals against the reds, with Mel Eves and Normal Bell also on target.

Most recently
2020 – We lost a UEFA Champions League group game 2-0 to Atalanta behind closed doors at Anfield, although we remained top of the table with two matches to go. James Milner reached a half century of European games for the reds.
2017 – Chelsea held us to a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Ex-Blue Mohamed Salah put us ahead during the second half, but Willian bagged a late leveller, one of his four goals past us.
2012 - We were held to a goalless draw at Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium, with José Enrique having a goal ruled out for a very marginal offside.

Mixed fortunes against Boro
1978 - We beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Terry McDermott and former Boro star Graeme Souness.
1995 - We lost 2-1 on our first visit to the Riverside Stadium, with Neil Ruddock grabbing our goal after Neil Cox had opened the scoring, with future red Nick Barmby scoring the winner a minute later as keeper David James played his hundredth League game for us.

Ged’s au revoir
1993 - Gérard Houllier resigned as Manager of France after their failure to qualify for the World Cup Finals in the USA. He had been in charge for twelve games, winning seven of these.

McQueen between the sticks
1893 - Utility player and future Manager Matt McQueen played in goal for the first of 41 times, keeping a clean sheet in our goalless Second Division draw at Newcastle United on our first ever visit there.
1905 - We returned to St. James’ Park in the top flight, winning 3-2 thanks to a Sam Raybould goal and two penalties from Alf West. This completed our first ever treble of League wins on the North East in a season, having already won at Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Future red ‘Wee’ Ronald Orr scored for the home side, as did Peter McWilliam.

1892 – Matt’s brother winger Hugh McQueen married Mary Jane Ross in Edinburgh.

On the move
1897 - Left-half Bill Goldie signed from Clyde for the reds, joining his brother Archie at Anfield. He went on to score six times in 174 appearances, helping us to the League title in 1901 before joining Fulham in January 1904.
1995 - Steve Nicol joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer from Notts County. He made just 54 appearances in three seasons with the Owls, without scoring.
2004 – Midfielder Lee Peltier signed as a professional with the reds. He made his senior debut in our Carling Cup Third Round defeat of Reading in October 2006, but made just four first-team appearances in total before moving to Yeovil Town in January 2008 after a successful loan spell.

2018 – Ex-reds forward Robbie Keane was appointed to Republic of Ireland's coaching staff as Assistant Manager.
2021 – Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajčetić signed as a professional, having arrived as a centre-back from Real Club Celta de Vigo. He made his senior bow from the bench in our 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth in August 2022.

Other reds games
2006 – Steven Gerrard netted the only goal of Manchester City’s visit to Anfield.
1950 – We drew 1-1 at Burnley with Kevin Baron on the scoresheet.
1925 – We held Huddersfield Town to a goalless draw at Leeds Road.

1922 – Harry Chambers was on target as we won 1-0 at Aston Villa, with Billy Walker missing a penalty for the home side.
1911 – Preston North End won 1-0 in L4.

At the World Cup
2022 – Future red Cody Gakpo struck as the Netherlands were held to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup group game in Qatar, with Virgil van Dijk skippering the side. On the same day, Jordan Henderson and future red Raheem Sterling played in England’s goalless draw with the USA, while Joe Allen won his first cap in his second spell with Swansea City as Wales lost 2-0 to Iran, with ex-reds Danny Ward, Neco Williams and Harry Wilson all also featuring.

Not going to the Far East
2001 - Future red Harry Kewell played as Australia lost 3-0 in Uruguay in the second leg of their World Cup play-off, to fall at the final hurdle 3-1 on aggregate.

Youngsters in action
2005 – Future reds loanee Nuri Şahin became the youngest ever Bundesliga goalscorer, aged seventeen years and 81 days, scoring for Borussia Dortmund against 1. FC Nürnberg. On the same day, future reds loanee Victor Moses won his only cap for England Under-16’s in their 2-1 victory over Scotland.
2022 – Future red Trey Nyoni played for England Under-16’s in their 2-1 friendly win over Germany in Spain.

Also in international action
1970 – Emlyn Hughes played for England in their 3-1 friendly defeat of East Germany at Wembley.
1990 – Future red Jari Litmanen played as Finland drew a European Championships qualifier 1-1 in Malta.