Phil THOMPSON

 A product of the Anfield youth system, Phil Thompson signed professional forms with the club on January 22nd 1971, a day after his 17th birthday. He began his Liverpool career as a midfield player, but would make his name as a central defender and go on to captain both club and country in this position, winning numerous trophies and 42 England caps. Despite his frail physique (as his first manager, Bill Shankly, put it, "The boy tossed up with a sparrow for his legs and lost"), Phil was a strong tackler and his excellent positional play and distribution would make him a linchpin of Liverpool's defence for the best part of a decade. He made his first team debut on April 3, 1972, when he came on as a late sub (for John Toshack) in a 3-0 League win at Manchester United, but it would take two more seasons before he became a regular starter. In the 1972-73 League campaign, he did not start a game until late October, when he deputised in midfield for the injured Emlyn Hughes as the Reds drew 1-1 at Norwich City.

Phil was in and out of the side for the rest of the season, filling in at several positions in defence and midfield, but his 14 appearances were enough to earn him the first medal of his career as Liverpool claimed a record eighth League title. However, he missed out on another medal, being an unused sub in both legs of the two-legged UEFA Cup final, Liverpool beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-2 on aggregate in May 1973 to win their first ever European trophy. Phil began the 1973-74 campaign in central defence alongside Larry Lloyd and on September 4, scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 League win over Derby County at Anfield. He played in the first seven League games of the season but was then replaced by Tommy Smith and was unable to hold down a regular place until Smith, in turn, moved to right back (replacing Chris Lawler).

He played in all but one of Liverpool's last 35 League games, first being paired with Larry Lloyd and then, after Lloyd was injured in February '73, with Emlyn Hughes, who moved there from midfield. Thompson and Hughes soon established themselves as a redoubtable pairing in central defence, forming a partnership that would be crucial to Liverpool's success for several seasons to come. In that season's League campaign, they helped the Reds keep 19 clean sheets in 42 matches and concede only 31 goals in total. However, Liverpool ended the League season tamely, winning only one of their last eight games to finish runners-up by five points to Leeds United. So, after early exits in both the European and League Cups, their last chance of silverware came on May 4, when they faced Newcastle United in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Inspired by Kevin Keegan, who scored twice, Liverpool ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, Thompson and Hughes stifling the Geordies' star strikers, Malcolm Macdonald and John Tudor. One of the best players on the day, Phil deservedly picked up his second major medal in two seasons. (Martin Greensill)

 The 1974-75 campaign began with uncertainty at the club following the shock departure of manager Bill Shankly that summer, though 'Thommo' himself continued as a permanent fixture in the Reds' defence. That was until the eighth League game of the season, a 3-0 home win against Stoke City on September 21, in which he picked up an injury, forcing him to miss the next 10 League games. He returned to the side for a 1-1 draw at Coventry City on November 30th and would be ever present until the end of the season, playing 32 League games as Liverpool finished runners-up in the title race, two points behind Brian Clough's Derby County side. Phil made five appearances in other competitions but, unlike the previous two terms, no silverware came from any of the cup competitions either, for once leaving the Anfield trophy room bare. More importantly in the long term, however, the club had recovered from Shankly's resignation and regrouped very effectively under new boss Bob Paisley. This season of consolidation would serve as the stepping stone for a golden period in Liverpool's history.

Phil was free of serious injury in the 1975-76 season, playing all but two of Liverpool's 59 games as the side returned to trophy-winning ways. He missed just one League game and helped the side concede only 31 goals in 42 games (a record that included 22 clean sheets) as the Reds surged to the League title, dropping only one point in their last nine games. He also featured prominently in Liverpool's run to the UEFA Cup final, helping the Reds achieve a historic 1-0 win away to Barcelona - their first home defeat by a British side - in a semi-final first leg tie on March 30, and then scoring the most vital goal of his career in the return leg at Anfield a fortnight later, bundling the ball home from close range to give Liverpool a 1-1 draw and secure their place in the final with a 2-1 aggregate win. Here they met FC Bruges of Belgium in a two-legged affair, running out 4-3 winners on aggregate (winning 3-2 at home, then drawing 1-1 away) to complete their second League-UEFA Cup double in four seasons. Thommo had added two more major medals to his growing collection, capping an outstanding season in which his fine club displays had been rewarded with international recognition. In March 1976, he had made his England debut (along with team-mates Phil Neal and Ray Kennedy) in a 2-1 win against Wales at Wrexham. (Martin Greensill)

 The 1976-77 campaign was to prove even more memorable, though injury would preclude Phil from playing a major part in it. He made 26 League appearances, scoring two goals in the space of three league games around the turn of the year to help the Reds defeat Stoke (4-0) and Sunderland (2-0), but was injured in a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United on March 5, and missed the remainder of the season after undergoing a cartilage operation. At least Phil had played enough games to win a championship medal, a 0-0 draw at home to West Ham United on May 14 giving Liverpool a record 10th League title. Having already reached the finals of both the European Cup and FA Cup, the club's dreams of a famous treble were now a step closer to reality, but they were shattered by a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley on May 21. Now Liverpool had just four days to pick themselves up before the European Cup final in Rome against West German champions Borussia Moenchengladbach. Producing an excellent performance on the unforgettable night of May 25 1977, they completed a historic 3-1 victory, bringing the European Cup to Anfield for the first time.

Phil's injury woes continued into the following season, forcing him to miss all but two of Liverpool's first 15 League games. However, he returned to the side for a 1-1 home draw with Bristol City on November 19, and was absent from only two of the last 27 League games. Thompson chipped in with three goals in his 27 League appearances, including the opener in a 2-0 win at Newcastle on December 31, and helped the side keep clean sheets in their last five League games of the season. This was part of a 12-game unbeaten streak, but Liverpool had left it too late and had to settle for the runners-up spot behind Nottingham Forest, the same team that had beaten them in a 1-0 in the League Cup final replay on March 22. Nevertheless, the season ended on a high note as the Reds retained the European Cup, Thommo helping to keep a clean sheet as Kenny Dalglish's deft chip proved enough to defeat their old foes FC Bruges 1-0 in the final at Wembley on May 10.

Both Phil and Liverpool began the 1978-79 season in superb form, Thommo starring in a defence that conceded just four goals as the Reds won 10 and drew one of their first 11 League matches. Early exits from the League and European Cups later in the season meant that Liverpool could concentrate on regaining the League title, and they led the table throughout the campaign, sweeping to their 11th championship by an eight-point margin from runners-up Nottingham Forest and setting a First Division record of 68 points (under the system of two points for a win). Having taken over as captain when Emlyn Hughes was dropped from the side in April 1979, Phil collected the League championship trophy after a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa on May 8. Hughes had been playing at left back since September 1978, when a young Scotsman, Alan Hansen, had replaced him as Phil's partner in central defence and this new pairing had proved even more successful. It got off to an outstanding start as Liverpool conceded only 16 goals in their League 42 games, a record low for all four divisions of the Football League, and notched up a remarkable 28 clean sheets. (Martin Greensill)