It was never going to be easy for Gary Ablett to break into a Liverpool defence containing the likes of Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson, Gary Gillespie, Glen Hysen and Steve Nicol. Indeed, Ablett's ungainly appearance jarred with Liverpool's image of a club with a predilection for defenders who could play their way out of trouble. Yet Kenny Dalglish had faith in the ability of the local lad who had worked his way up through the ranks. Not only did he draft him into the first team at every opportunity, but he also turned down a number of sizeable bids for the left footed defender. Which is how Ablett came to form part of one of Liverpool's greatest ever sides, the one that swept away to the league title in 1987-88. Ablett made fifteen league appearances that season including a start in a 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest - enough to get him a championship medal. Two years later he added another league winners' medal to his collection when he played thirteen times in what was Liverpool's last championship winning side of the century. Despite never really establishing himself in the first team, Ablett was always reliable enough. His ability to time tackles to perfection made up for his lack of speed and he was stronger than his wiry frame suggested. Unlike Hansen or Hysen, Gary couldn't play his way out of defence but instead he held fast to Shankly's motto of passing it to the nearest red shirt. Ultimately, however, it was never going to be. Efficient rather than spectacular, the constant comparisons with his predecessors inevitably had a negative impact. With Liverpool dominancy nearing its end, people started looking for scapegoats and Ablett was an easy target. There weren't many occasions when the Liverpool fans shared Graeme Souness' views on his players' worth, but Ablett was one of the exceptions. Few bemoaned his sale for £750, 000 early in January 1992, even though it was to neighbours Everton. Nevertheless, Ablett was a reasonable success at Goodison, providing composure and solidity to Everton's defence. He eventually joined Birmingham, before winding down his career with a number of short stays at lower league clubs. (Paul Grech)