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English Football Legends Series

Already a legend at Celtic by the time be joined Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish went on to become arguably the Reds greatest ever player.

Kenny Dalglish

Clubs: Celtic, Liverpool

Position: Forward

Appearances*: 559

Goals*: 230

Honours: League Championship, 6
FA Cup, 1
League Cup, 4
European Cup, 3

---

* League appearances and goals only

Celtic

A Rangers fan as a boy, Dalglish began his career as a youth player at Celtic.

He made his first team debut in a Scottish League Cup tie against Hamilton in September 1968, but had to wait three years before becoming a first team regular in the 1971/72 season.

He scored his first Celtic goal on 14 August 1971, ironically against Rangers. He went on to score 23 goals in 49 appearances that season, as Celtic lifted the league title.

The following year, with Dalglish now established as the club's top striker, they were champions again, and a year later they completed a hat-trick of wins.

Kenny Dalglish was made Celtic captain in 1975/76, but it was a rare season in which the Hoops finished trophy-less.

They regained their title the following season, Dalglish's last at the club.

He'd had made 269 Celtic appearances, scoring an incredible 167 goals, he'd won 4 league titles, 4 Scottish Cups, and the Scottish League Cup.

He moved to Liverpool in August 1977 - ahead of him, the unenviable task of replacing Kop idol, Kevin Keegan.

Liverpool

If the Liverpool supporters had any reservations about Dalglish's ability to replace Keegan, he soon set their minds at rest

He scored on his league debut, to earn a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on 20 August. A week later, on his home debut, he slotted the opening goal in a 2-0 defeat of Newcastle.

By the end of the season, Dalglish had 62 games and 31 goals to his credit - including the winner in the 1978 European Cup final.

Dalglish was an ever present during his first three seasons. In 1978/79, he scored 21 league goals, as the Reds were champions.

They retained the title the next year and in the 1980-81 season, despite Kenny Dalglish scoring just eight goals, Liverpool were European Champions, as well as winning the League Cup.

The next season, he got 13 goals as Liverpool racked up their 13th title - and his third at the club.

In 1982-83, although no longer Liverpool's main goal threat since the emergence of Ian Rush, Dalglish got 18 league goals and Liverpool were champions again.

They retained their title in 1983/84 and beat Roma on penalties to win another European Cup.

But the following season there was tragedy as fighting between rival fans, at the European Cup final in Heysel, led to the deaths of 39 Juventus supporters.

Liverpool lost the match, and their fans took the blame for the disaster, resulting in all English clubs being banned from European competition indefinitely.

Liverpool Manager

Liverpool manager Joe Fagan resigned in the wake of the Heysel disaster, and in 1985 Kenny Dalglish became player-manager.

His first season as manager saw the club win its first ever Double - appropriately Dalglish scored the winner at Stamford Bridge that sealed the title.

He also featured in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Everton in the first all-Merseyside final.

The following season was a disappointment as Liverpool lost their league title to Everton, lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Luton Town.

Ian Rush departed for Juventus in 1987, but in his place Dalglish put together an exciting forward line of Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and winger John Barnes.

The Reds had a dominant season, winning the league with four games to spare, and suffering just two defeats throughout the campaign.

They were also favourites to lift the FA Cup, but were on the wrong end of a shock, unfancied Wimbledon winning in the final.

There was further tragedy in 1989, as 94 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at Hillsbrough, during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

The game was abandoned after six minutes and there were calls to cancel the FA Cup for that season, but in the end it was decided to play the final in honour of the victims.

Perhaps fittingly, Liverpool faced their Merseyside rivals Everton, and won 3-2.

However, they lost the title, and the chance of a second double, with virtually the last kick of the season.

Arsenal came to Anfield needing a 2-0 win to snatch the title, and got it through a Michael Thomas goal right on full time. With an identical points tally and goal difference, the Gunners won the title on goals scored.

In the 1989/90 season Liverpool won their third league title of Kenny Dalglish's reign, withstanding a late surge by Aston Villa.

During the season, he made his last appearance, as a substitute against Derby County, on 5 May 1990, at the age of 39.

Kenny Dalglish resigned as manager of Liverpool on 22 February 1991, citing the pressures of the job and stating that he intended retiring from football.

His Liverpool career reads: 515 appearances, 172 goals, 8 League Titles, 2 FA Cups, 3 European Cups, 4 League Cups, 1 Football Writers Footballer of the Year award, 1 PFA Player of the Year award, and 3 Manager of the Year awards.

Blackburn Rovers

Despite stating his intention to retire from the game, Dalglish surprised everyone by returning to management just eight months after leaving Liverpool.

In October 1991, he accepted a role with Second Division Blackburn Rovers, leading them back to the top-flight for the first time since 1966.

Backed by steel tycoon Jack Walker's millions, Rovers finished fourth in their debut Premier League season. The following season they finished second.

In 1994/95, Blackburn went into the final game needing to win at Anfield to be sure of lifting the title. They lost, but with Man United failing to win at West Ham, were still champions.

The title meant that Kenny Dalglish became only the third manager to win the title with two different clubs, after Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield Town and Arsenal) and Brian Clough (Derby County and Nottingham Forest).

After winning the Premier League, Dalglish became Director of Football at Blackburn. He left the club a year later by mutual consent.

Newcastle United

Stepping into the role on 14 January 1997, with the club in fourth place, he led them to a second place finish.

However, in his second season they finished 13th, and despite taking them to the FA Cup final, Dalglish was sacked just two games into the 1998/1999 season.

Celtic

In June 1999 he was appointed Director of Football at his first club, Celtic. His former Liverpool player, John Barnes was brought in as head coach.

However, after a run of poor results, Barnes was sacked in February 2000 and Dalglish took over as manager.

He guided Celtic to a Scottish League Cup final win over Aberdeen but left shortly after, later accepting a 600,000 pound settlement from the club.

Return to Liverpool

After leaving Celtic Dalglish was linked with a number of managerial vacancies, none of which came to fruition.

In 2002, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

In July 2009, Kenny Dalglish returned to Liverpool to take up a role with their youth academy.

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