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Recruited from junior football in his native Glasgow, utility player Ian
Ross signed as a professional for Liverpool in August 1965 at the age
of 17. True to the club's policy of developing young players gradually,
Ian did not make his debut until January 14, 1967, coming on as a sub in
a 1-0 League win at Sheffield Wednesday, and had to wait until March
16, 1968, for his first start in the side, a 3-2 League win over Burnley
at Anfield. He made only five more appearances that season and only
four in total in 1968-69.
His first real impact in a red shirt came in a
successful man-marking role on Everton midfielder Alan Ball, one of
England's 1966 World Cup heroes, in the Merseyside derby at Goodison
Park on December 6, 1969. Making only his third start of the season,
Ross's dominance of Ball was a key factor in Liverpool handing their
city rivals, and League leaders, a 3-0 beating. Maintaining this good
form, Ian started the next four games in midfield, scoring his first
goal for the club in a 5-1 win at Burnley on Boxing Day, and his second
in a 3-0 home win against Coventry City in a 3rd round FA Cup replay.
However, he was dropped after Liverpool suffered a shock 6th round FA
Cup defeat at Division Two side Watford and did not make another
appearance that season. Ian underlined his versatility in his first
appearance of the 1970-71 campaign, in a 2-1 win at Burnley on August
15, by playing at left-back, a position he held for three more games
before being replaced by future Reds manager Roy Evans (who in turn soon
gave way to specialist left-back Alec Lindsay).
Ross did not then start
a game again until late November, playing in midfield in a thrilling
Merseyside derby which Liverpool won 3-2 after Everton had taken a 2-0
lead, and was in and out of the side for the remainder of the season,
making a total of 14 appearances in all competitions. His best
performance undoubtedly came in a European Fairs Cup tie away to Bayern
Munich on March 24, 1971. Liverpool had won the first leg of the
quarter-final tie 3-0 at Anfield and manager Bill Shankly sought to
ensure their progress to the semi-finals by assigning Ian to man-mark
the legendary Franz Beckenbauer. The plan worked a treat as Ross not
only earned himself the nickname 'The Kaiser's Shadow' by barely giving
Beckenbauer a kick, but also scored Liverpool's goal in a 1-1 draw that
took them through 4-1 on aggregate.
The 1971-72 campaign proved to be
Ian's busiest as he made 31 appearances, 21 of which were in the League,
and filled several positions in the team. He started the season in
central defence, before moving to left back and then, in early November,
into midfield. His only goal that term (and his last for the club) came
in a 3-2 League win over Arsenal at Anfield on November 6, 1971. A week
later, an injury to regular centre-half Larry Lloyd led to Ross
switching to central defence and he played there for two months until
Lloyd regained fitness and returned to the side. Now back in midfield,
Ian's last game was a 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Leeds on February 9, 1972. A
victim of his own versatility, he was unable to make any position in the
side his own and was transferred to Aston Villa later that month for
£60,000.
Ian made a total of 68 appearances for Liverpool, scoring four
goals. (Martin Greensill)
Ian died on 9th. February 2019 aged 72.
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