Charles Itandje
Tom Fairfoul
Larry Lloyd
David Burrows
Jackie Sheldon
Graeme Souness
Jermaine Pennant
Tom Fairfoul
Stan Collymore
Michael Owen
Though Liverpool fans are prepared to back any player giving their all this largely tongue in cheek assessment of a possible Rogues XI may provide a little food for thought about those who have perhaps not served the club as diligently as may be expected.
Charles Itandje
Since the club was formed in 1892 Liverpool FC have placed some of the finest goalkeepers in the game between their posts. Consequently there have been few flops and even fewer rogues. Finding a keeper who went bad is consequently not an easy task.
Prior to April just passed Sander Westerveld signing for Everton is as close as it’s possible to say a man who wore a green or any other colour of jersey went bad. However, the one time French under-21 international caused controversy with some inappropriate not to say disrespectful behaviour at the memorial service held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster.
The keeper who was on the cusp of making France’s senior squad in 2006 a year prior to joining the Reds in order to become Jose Reina’s deputy. his arrival allowed Scott Carson a chance to be loaned out to West Bromwich Albion and a chance of cementing his place in the England national side. Almost 200 appearances for RC Lens under his belt Itandje seemed an able stand in but struggled in the seven domestic cup games he was able to muster. Far from the solid keeper he had looked in Ligue 1 he could have pointed a finger at always having the strongest defence Rafael Benitez could have selected ahead of him but was disappointing in successive FA Cup games against Havant and Waterlooville and then the shock Anfield defeat by Barnsley.
Diego Cavalieri’s arrival in 2008 pushed him further down the pecking order but a move to Galatasary which seemed certain to go ahead in that summer’s transfer window broke down at the 11th hour. He failed to so much as make the bench for any game during the 2008-09 season. Other switches during January which followed were similarly thwarted. It was felt that some personal details were the issue. If the stopper had been able to agree a loan he would not have been present at Anfield on 15 April 2009 when he was seen mimicking a dance and laughing during a song.
The club suspended him for 14 days once his actions came to light - the maximum allowed under his contract - and his fate effectively became sure from that point. It was only a matter of where he would go. There were links with clubs in France and Italy but Greece with Kavala FC proved his destination on a season‘s long loan. Though he will have a season of his deal with Liverpool remaining there is no prospect of a return.
Bob Pursell
A full back whose time at Anfield saw both highs and lows after his signing in September 1911 and he sparked controversy from the outset with The Reds receiving a £250 fine for irregularities relating to his transfer - namely not approaching his club, Queens Park, first. There was a scramble for his services around the time and rather than lose out the Liverpool board cut a few corners.
Despite a fairly impressive start to his career missing just 10 of the games he was eligible to play after his capture was completed he was in and out of the side over the next couple of campaigns but was able to play a full part in Liverpool reaching a first ever FA Cup final in 1914.
However, he was heavily implicated in a match fixing scandal less than a year later when players from Liverpool and Manchester United were found to have conspired to arrange a United win by two goals to nil and thereby pull off a betting coup for those in the know. Pursell conceded a penalty which was missed much to the characin of many on the field
He had made just over 100 appearances before he was prematurely retired and although the ban was lifted in recognition of his war service he decided to leave the club after just two more appearances - defeats against Manchester United and Everton over successive days during the Christmas period - and join Port Vale where his brother was also playing. However, after just over a season a broken leg suffered in April 1922 in a match with Leicester forced him to hang up his boots as the season closed.
Larry Lloyd
Bill Shankly identified Larry Lloyd as the eventual successor to Ron Yeats' mantle and as ever the Liverpool boss was proved right for after earning his place in the side towards the end of the 1969-70 season he retained it for just over three seasons. A £50,000 fee secured his services from Bristol Rovers in April 1969. He made a fleeting debut early in the following campaign.
There were many of the basic skills a defender may rely upon missing at this stage but displaying a confidence which belied his youth Lloyd proved there was far more to his game than aerial power and for a man standing over 6 feet tall he was good on the ground. Pace was not a keen asset but he was strong in the tackle and capable of using the ball he'd won well. A burst from the back would usually encourage his colleagues to team forward such was his surety in possession and their confidence in his ball skills. Distribution with his trusty left foot was another asset.
At the other end of the field his goals to games ratio was poor. Just five strikes were amassed from 217 outings although one of that albeit small number proved to be the winner against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the 1972-73 UEFA Cup final. He also earned a championship medal in the same season as an ever-present member of the squad and found his efforts justly rewarded by a place in the England team.
He was hungry to earn more honours and would have earned a FA Cup winners medal but for a seemingly innocuous thigh injury marked the end of his Anfield career as although the knock wasn't a serious set back it did keep him out long enough to allow Phil Thompson who had been operating in midfield to establish his place in the side paving the way for a £225,000 transfer to Coventry City in the summer of 1974. Just a couple of years later after suffering from a few injuries was loaned to Second Division Nottingham Forest eventually striking a permanent deal and gaining readmission to the top flight when Brian Clough’s side finished the 1976-77 season in the promotion places - taking the third and final place was no indication of how Forest would do over the next few seasons.
Clough guided his side to a Football League Championship and then successive European Cup wins. There was also a couple of League Cup victories the first of which was recorded over Liverpool in a controversial game. The teams had fought out a 0-0 draw at Wembley with youngster Chris Woods performing well between the posts and denying the Reds countless times. Liverpool were just as good value in the Old Trafford replay but were beaten by a controversial penalty awarded for Phil Thompson’s trip on John O’Hare. John Robertson converted.
Referee Pat Partridge may be a better figure to placed in the Rouges XI than Larry Lloyd as he also denied a perfectly good Terry McDermott goal for a handball when the midfielder clearly took the ball on his chest but the nod goes to the huge Bristolian due to his efforts in assisting denying Liverpool not only this trophy but possibly standing in the way of more League titles being added to the club’s haul. Not only that ‘Old Big Ears’ may have been won five times before Istanbul. Forest put Liverpool out in the opening phase of the 1979-80 European Cup.
Tom Fairfoul
An experienced right half signed from Third Lanark in 1913 who helped Liverpool reach a first ever FA Cup final at the end of his first season. He was a tough player to beat with a steely demeanour and a stiff tackle which would often see him win the ball cleanly which he then managed to use well thanks to his sure passing. He suspended for his part in the betting scandal that rocked the game just before the outbreak of World War One.
It may seem hard to believe that any Liverpool player would want to lose to Manchester United but Fairfoul was one of four Anfield players who were found guilty of arranging for that to happen in 1915. Advancing in years the Scot was one of the many players who realised that if hostilities lasted six months or six years his days as a professional footballer could be numbered. Others connected with both clubs realised that a long war could end their careers and consequently some decided to gain as much money as possible before the inevitable adjournment of the Football League. For Fairfoul it capped a 71 game career over two seasons.
Liverpool were safe in mid-table while United were languishing far too close to the foot of the table for comfort and the points would aid their bid to stave off relegation. With the result already known before a ball was kicked it was suggested that the vital two points meant little to anyone than the Old Trafford club. The Good Friday fixture ended 2-0 to the hosts who had fairly long odds on recording that precise score despite enjoying home advantage. Such a result was reasoned not to appear too outlandish to the casual observer or the authorities. However, those inside the ground could see a farce was being orchestrated.
George Anderson put United ahead and a penalty was expected to double the advantage meaning nothing more had to happen until the close. Patrick O’Connell the regular United penalty taker and someone with a good record from the spot took responsibility but blazed his shot well wide.
Liverpool’s Fred Pagnam who was not in on the fix hit the bar and was openly remonstrated by some for the effort. Anderson grabbed a late second to get the desired final score. A reward was publicly offered for information leading to the identification off those involved by bookmakers. The Sporting Chronicle said it had evidence of a conspiracy to concoct a result and a Football League enquiry set up declared that a betting coup had been arranged. Four players from each club were identified to be the culprits and immediately banned for life. Although the sentences were lifted when the war finished in recognition of service to King and Country Fairfoul was 34 by the time life returned to normal never returned to the game becoming the proprietor of a taxi business in the city.
David Burrows
Though a teenager when he signed for Liverpool with many tactical rough edges David Burrows became a regular choice not too long after his debut against Coventry City in October 1988. Although recognised as a left sided player he could play in either full back berth and brought comparisons early in his Anfield career to Steve Nicol in terms of his versatility, playing style and composure. Like Nicol he linked up well with John Barnes and got forward as often as possible and to great effect.
His tough tackling and strong running style also made him a crowd favourite. However, it highlighted one drawback of his game. David wound up in the referee's notebook far too often and thus missed a number of games through suspension. Without those he may have topped he 200 appearance mark he fell just shy of when joining West Ham United in September 1993 as part of the deal which brought Julian Dicks to Anfield. Graeme Souness had maintained Burrows in his side and allowed the challenger or his preferred spot in the team Steve Staunton to join Aston Villa. It seemed the manager wanted something and someone different in the role.
A single season at Upton Park was ended by a swoop from Everton who fashioned a deal which allowed Tony Cottee to go in the opposite direction and return to West Ham with whom he spent six months before a return to his native midlands with Coventry City. Over four years at Highfield Road injuries restricted his appearances as they did at Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday before he retired in 2003.
There is it would seem little other than a spell at Goodison Burrows could be reproached for and that would be the case but for gestures made when on a return as an opposition player he decided to punch a fist towards The Kop which having been supportive and respectful to a well regarded ex-player reacted badly.
Jackie Sheldon
Before joining Liverpool in November 1913 Jackie Sheldon had played deputy to the Billy Meredith at Old Trafford. Meredith was a legend on the right wing for Manchester United and was a tough player to keep out of the side. However, Sheldon managed that for a short period of time in his last season. That being so he eventually went back into the shadows and was a clear target for the Reds once Arthur Goddard was deemed to have given his best service to the club. He was placed straight into the fray and did well helping his new club to a narrow home win over Tottenham Hotspur. A trip to Aston Villa a week later saw him register his first goal for the club - a penalty in a 2-1 defeat. He kept his place and managed to find the scoresheet without the aid of the dead ball four more time before the season ended and capped his first season with an FA Cup final appearance. Although Liverpool lost by a single goal it wasn't for the lack of effort on Sheldon's behalf who sent in a number of high quality crosses which the forwards particularly Tom Miller failed to capitalise on.
He was justifiably the first choice down the right flank and missed just three games throughout the entire season. However, one of the matches he played in that term caused one of the biggest scandals in the history of English football. Liverpool met his old side Manchester United on Good Friday and with the league set to be suspended due to the Great War it was alleged that a number players uncertain whether they would ever play again decided to stage a betting coup and conspired to fix the result. United who were facing the prospect of relegation beat mid-table Liverpool 2-0. A result with odds of 8-1. A lucrative return for those in the know.
Sheldon the usually sure fire spot kick expert who had converted two efforts to that point missed a penalty and given his status as an ex-United player was deemed to have been one of the key movers in the plan. Claims that he purposefully allowed the keeper to save? were reinforced by the woeful effort put in and the fact that he scored twice from the spot in the immediate weeks after that tie. He was suspended from the game along with other players for life but saw his ban and that of the others lifted immediately after the war due to his service.
That one blot on his record apart he always gave full commitment on the field playing for two more seasons and was again established in the side before losing his place just a season before Liverpool claimed the first of two league titles in the early 1920s to Bill Lacey. Though still on the Anfield books during that initial championship season he had lost any chance of making the side once more due to bad injuries including a broken leg which eventually forced his retirement.
Graeme Souness
One of the finest and most influential players ever to have graced Anfield gave Liverpool's midfield not just a touch of steel but a fair degree of silk. A creative force as well as someone who could dominate a game Graeme Souness has a fair claim to be prime amongst the many dominant midfielders Liverpool have had. Strong in the tackle, on occasions too strong, and with a shot to match his temperament. Not that aggression was the only feature of his game. When called upon he could lay off the subtlest of balls as highlighted by the delicate pass which set up Kenny Dalglish for the only goal of the 1978 European Cup Final win over Bruges. It all highlighted that there was as much grace as there was anger in the Souness game.
His departure following Liverpool's dramatic penalty shoot out win over Roma in the 1984 European Cup Final coincided with The Reds' first trophy less season for ten seasons. Some didn't see it as a coincidence. They saw Souness's absence as the prime reason for The Reds, by their own high standards, having a poor season. His desire to win was almost obsessive and was never better illustrated than in his managerial career.
Free spending Glasgow Rangers, backed by an ambitious chairman intent on bringing glory back to Ibrox, tempted him away from Sampdoria. With Souness as player/manager and then just manger Rangers swept all before them domestically. Although more or less promised a job for life and a club director when the invitation to make his return to Anfield as the new boss came his way there was no hesitation in replacing Kenny Dalglish. A common view was that the Scot's appointment would continue the glut of trophies that had come Liverpool's way in recent years.
However, his return to the club marked the beginning of one of the most tumultuous periods of the club's recent history. A three year reign was as controversial as it was turbulent. The teams under his stewardship played some poor football during his reign but more importantly the players seemed to step out of the winning habit. Souness was a winner and was prepared to give his all in the drive for victory. He expected no less from those around him. It wasn't forthcoming. A fact which frustrated him as much as the Liverpool fans.
Players were bought and while some had great effect others seemed to have nothing if little to offer. These were usually offloaded at a reduced fee or simply dropped from the starting line-up never to return. Rumours of training ground and dressing room bust ups were rife. The ultimate effect being an unsettled camp which even saw some players, usually although not always in private, express dissatisfaction with their manager.
As a club Liverpool drifted backwards in its ability to challenge or honours finishing sixth in each of the full seasons Souness was at the helm for.
The manager wanted to make changes and do so with the same fervour he displayed as a player. Unfortunately he replaced some skilled if admittedly ageing players with ones of lesser ability than those they replaced. When injuries hit - and at times Anfield’s list of the walking wounded was extensive - there was simply not enough quality to replace those who were missing. There was also a feeling that an introduction of new training methods aggravated if not created fitness problems. The extensive nature of the setbacks leant weight to the argument.
Senior professionals were said to be unhappy with the new style. A growing clamour for his resignation reached its peak when a photo of the manager kissing his fiancée after Liverpool's cup semi-final win over Portsmouth in 1992 as he recovered from hear bypass surgery appeared in a newspaper reviled on Merseyside on the 3rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. The photograph appeared courtesy of an exclusive deal Souness had negotiated with the title which carried scurrilous lies about the cause of the disaster and its aftermath. A subsequent apology and a donation from the agreed fee to a local children's hospital justifiably failed to appease his critics.
Poor results and the worst start to a season in almost four decades followed. Championship challenges which were then demanded rather than expected at Anfield were over before the autumn leaves started to fall. An FA Cup exit at home to Bristol City at the 1993-94 competition’s first hurdle hastened a departure which many felt had been inevitable since his dealings with the newspaper reviled on Merseyside. An apology issued relating to the episode only mentioned sorrow at an exclusive deal being signed with a tabloid newspaper or which much money hand been handed to good causes.
Souness’s resignation was solemnly announced by a club with no record of dismissing managers but results along with other factors made his position wholly untenable.
Jermaine Pennant
Having something of a chequered career let alone difficulties in his personal life Jermaine Pennant would seem something of an obvious addition to any list of rogue footballers. A great shame given his undoubted ability. Snapped up by Arsenal as a 15 year old for a record £2million fee he left Notts County without playing a first team game. A testy beginning to his stint at Highbury and with England’s under-21s saw him disciplined for the odd violent moment on the pitch as well as breaking curfews. He was however the youngest ever player to make an outing for the Gunners when making his bow in a League Cup game with Middlesbrough. There was also a hat-trick on his full Premiership debut though he was a regular late attendee at training which was a problem for Arsene Wenger as were events off the field - a string of driving offences plus public order issues.
Loans at Watford, Leeds United and Birmingham City came with the latter club eventually taking him on a long term contract which Liverpool had to pay an initial fee of £6.7 million to break. Pennant who confessed to being a Reds fan in his youth and wanting to sign for the club as soon as he left Arsenal signed in July 2006. Initially impressive when given a run and arguably Liverpool’s Man of the Match in the 2007 Champions League final it seemed he may just have a future at the highest level and even claim an England call-up. There was another good start to the 2007-08 campaign but there remained substantial room or improvement and a tendency to drift in some games.
An ill-tempered and huffy offence saw him sent off in a game with Porto and in many ways contributed to him beginning to feature less and less in Rafa Benitez’s plans. Form when he did appear was at best patchy and a succession of possible loans or permanent deals looked likely in January 2009. Real Madrid were set to make an offer until Juande Ramos insisted his president drop the interest. Portsmouth was his eventual destination for the last few months of his Liverpool contract. When a free agent in the summer he join Real Zaragoza.
In October 2009 he gave an interview suggesting Rafael Benitez’s managerial style had held him back. Though he acknowledged that his former boss was a good tactician and as astute as of his contemporaries there seemed more than a touch of sour grapes in the comments that one partuicular player Dirk Kuyt was picked week in week out to justify fees, a lack of competence in the role they were bought for. Quite simply Pennant often only put half a shift in and often failed to look interested in the plans worked out in training drills and ever so rarely tracked back. Where as the Dutch international he named was winning many of his critics over through work rate as well as the vital goals he was grabbing.
Tom Miller
The Reds swooped for the centre forward in February 1912. He was not the breed of striker that was popular at the time and was thought to be rather on the small side to cope with the rigours of the game at that end of the field. But he made himself indispensable due to an ability to play well in any of the forward berths.
His pace was a key asset and usually pulled him past defenders. He was the club's top scorer in the league for the 1913-14 season but was one of a number of usually reliable players who played poorly during the same year's FA Cup final. He spurned a number of decent opportunities and as a result left The Crystal Palace with nothing more than a runners-up medal to show for their efforts. Another game in which he played badly was a league contest with Manchester United the following Good Friday. Liverpool for the large part looked totally uninterested a getting a result with Miller in particular failing to inspire. He like the others involved Jackie Sheldon, Tom Fairfoul and Bob Pursell was suspended from the game for their respective parts in the match fixing scandal which ensued when players from both sides were held to have contrived a result.
War was brewing with Germany at the time and with nobody sure just how long any conflict would last some were said to be keen to make money before their careers probably ended as a result. Service of all those involved was held to be enough to see the suspensions lifted after life returned to normal. He spent a season and a bit at Anfield before leaving. Ironically heading for Old Trafford after almost 150 games which saw him score 58 goals and win a international call up for Scotland. His stint with Manchester United lasted a single term before he went back to his homeland to join Hearts. Part of a large footballing family his brother John also played for Liverpool and four of his cousins also played league football at various levels.
Stan Collymore
Nottingham Forest's decision to give the precocious yet controversial forward a chance at the highest grade reaped rich dividends in the summer of 1995 when they saw their £2.2million investment become the subject of an £8.5million domestic record transfer to Anfield. A strong striker with an ability to run powerfully at defenders and unleash powerful shots as well as mop up chances closer in he became an instant hit with The Kop netting the only goal of the game with an impressive 30 yard curler on his debut. There were more memorable early strikes which resulted in recognition by England. His positional play was also keen and led to him striking up a telling partnership with Robbie Fowler in particular who he set up a number of goals for. 61 appearances for the Reds yielded 26 goals possibly one of the most memorable being the late winner in the first thrilling 4-3 home win over Newcastle United.
However, there were sour moments. An attack on the tactics used by the man who signed him Roy Evans in a magazine article soured his relationship with the manager and caused much press controversy. Rumours that he skipped training sessions or failed to do what was expected of him during drills were widespread. In addition there was what many saw as a tendency to rest on former glory and fan adulation rather than attempt to demonstrate ongoing commitment to the cause. He quickly fell out of favour as other striking options in the shape of a fully fit Ian Rush and then promising youth teamer Michael Owen came to the fore.
Further spats with the Anfield hierarchy some public some not so open saw him linked with a quick departure as his place at the club in the eyes of those wielding power became virtually untenable. He joined Aston Villa for £7million with whom he caused an air of controversy by kissing his badge after scoring against Liverpool. As far as Reds fans at Villa Park that day were concerned there had been no ill will towards the player.
There were few highs with his boyhood club and a bout of depression for which he earned deserved plaudits or being open about saw him miss a couple of months of the 1998-99 season which he end on loan with Fulham. John Gregory decided to allow the striker to leave and join Leicester City. He left Filbert Street under a cloud after an incident in a Spanish training camp. Brief and largely unproductive stints at Bradford City and Real Oviedo concluded a career he called to an end at the age of 30. Ovideo manager Radi Antić questioned his fitness and limited him to just a couple of substitute appearances. The La Liga club threatened legal action when the decision was announced.
There were offers to make a return but Collymore rebuffed each pursuing careers in the film and music industries. He gained more notierty for striking his one time girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson in a Paris bar during the 1998 World Cup finals and being exposed for participating in the practice of ‘dogging’ in a tabloid expose. It was a scandal for which he lost his contract with the BBC.
He has since returned to the media as a newspaper and radio pundit. A role in which he has caused controversy by suggesting the Premier League’s current smaller clubs should be replaced by those with more storied histories. Many Liverpool fans believe his comments about the club are just as inane and attention grabbing. With no small measure of justification.
Michael Owen
The rise of Michael Owen at a domestic and international level was nothing short of meteoric. His goal scoring prowess was obvious from any early age as he broke all the Welsh schoolboy records Ian Rush had once held. He was a hot property but with Liverpool's impressive scouting network having already picked him up there was no question of any other side nipping in to snatch the striker away. Gradually and carefully developed by Steve Heighway during his early teenage years he was an integral member of the side which won the FA Youth Cup in 1996 and made his first team debut within the calendar year snatching a goal after his introduction as a substitute against Wimbledon. He notched at least once on his debut in each domestic competition and in Europe in both the UEFA Cup and
England boss Glenn Hoddle had little option but to put him in his senior England set-up and as may be expected he also notched on his international bow. Despite doubts being cast over his ability by the international boss he went from strength to strength scoring one of the most talked about goals of the 1998 World Cup finals - a feat which catapulted him to worldwide stardom.
Anfield hosted the player's first game as captain of England when the national side took on Paraguay. At 22 years and 124 days he was the second youngest player to skipper his country trailing only Bobby Moore who was appointed to the job 76 days younger.
As a world class player Michael would have wished to have been challenging for domestic and European honours. Liverpool's somewhat poor results over the seasons since the cup treble was secured saw his position constantly debated. Though still in his early twenties Michael was regarded as one of the premier strikers in the world meaning his name was always mentioned when teams like Real Madrid searched for their yearly capture of a Galatico. It meant virtually every summer became a hotbed of speculation especially when his contract had anywhere less than two years to run. However, up until the summer of 2004 regular deals were struck between player and club. There was nothing other than mild encouragement that the then 24 year old would extend an 11 year association with the club who signed him as a promising schoolboy.
Many fans hoped that Liverpool was in the boyhood Evertonian’s blood but Owen joined Real in a £8 million cash plus player deal just weeks after Rafael Benitez took over as manager. With extensive machinations and delay over a new contract which had just a season to run before expiring and just a matter of months before a pre-contract agreement could be signed with a foreign team it seemed he was ready to walk out the door before the new man walked in. if that wasn’t bad enough the seeming pre-occupation with England rather than the club grated with many who saw Liverpool as a nation in itself and only standing on the UK mainland by quirk of geographical fate and failed to see how club matters could be relegated to second place.
A selfish nature of the striker’s play was also identified. The team had to be built around him and his strengths. Balls were played up to him which relied on his ability to beat the defender whose shoulder he had been sitting on. Owen far more often than not got the better of his man and claimed a plenty of goals though his methods required the midfield to sit deep in case the ball was sent straight back. That meant players but particularly Steven Gerrard often had to play within well himself. The discipline holding a world class player back or years. The change in an already influential Gerrard after Owen left was immense and helped lead to the skipper becoming little more than an inspiration.
When Michael was allowed to leave Madrid Liverpool were amongst the runners to capture him but wouldn’t compete with a £17 million offer from Newcastle having received just half that fee. There was a disappointment that the player didn’t dig his feet in and insist that Anfield would be his destination and nowhere else forcing Real to accept the lower fee on offer rather than just commit himself to a four year deal at St James Park. A willingness to join Manchester United was seen as justification for those angry with his initial departure. Many of those who continued to hold a bond with the ex-player who did find goals and his role in turning the 2001 FA Cup final in Liverpool’s favour broke their emotional ties at that point.
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