Yorkshire have submitted plans for their new pavilion at Headingley as part of their multi-million pound investment in redeveloping the ground.The new pavilion, if approved, will be situated at the Kirkstall Lane end and, for the first time, will mean cricketers will no longer have to share the same dressing room facilities used by their rugby counterparts.”In 2005, with the help of Leeds city council the club purchased the freehold of the famous ground and in so doing went a long way towards protecting a 15-year staging agreement with the ECB to host international cricket in Yorkshire,” a club statement read. “However, the job is still not complete – because there is a need to invest in the ground before 2019 to improve player, broadcaster and spectator facilities as well as growing the capacity to over 20,000.”Although intensely proud of its pedigree, the club does not under-estimate the challenges that lie ahead and the increasing competition from other venues across the country to stage international cricket.”While the club has and will continue to have an excellent relationship with its rugby-playing neighbours, there is an acceptance that separate changing rooms and amenities are now essential – and these will form part of the new pavilion.”It was hoped that the new pavilion to be ready in time for the Ashes Test next year, but it was revealed in January that Yorkshire estimate the redevelopment work will only be half finished.
Group A A combined bowling effort from State Bank of Hyderabad inflicted a second consecutive defeat on All India Electricity Board in Visakhapatnam. Vinay Dandekar picked up three wickets and was supported by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Rana Chowdhary who picked up two each. The problem for SBH was the failure of their batsmen to convert starts. T Suman made a fluent 32, P Srihari Rao chipped in with 37 while wicketkeeper M Srinivas contributed an unbeaten 33. They were not helped by the appalling lack of support from the other end, as the AIEB bowlers kept chipping away.AIEB would have backed themselves to chase down 172 but they didn’t have to go that far. Rain intervened when they were on 99 for 2 in 20.3 overs, well past what they required at that stage in the event of an interruption.Group B In a thrilling contest in Chennai, Tata Sports Club survived a spirited chase by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and prevailed by one run to open their mark in the BCCI Corporate trophy.The chase of 265 was dealt a major setback when Abhishek Nayar’s fluent knock of 85 was terminated by Gaurav Jathar. At 138 for 4, it seemed TSC were in control but captain VA Indulkar and wicketkeeper Uday Kaul struck half-centuries to surge BPCL back in the game. Indulkar was more measured while Kaul stepped up with four fours and a couple of sixes. Just as it seemed BPCL would upstage their opponents, Wilkin Mota struck twice, ending the threatening stand and then dismissing Sairaj Bahutule. Mota bowled the final over and Bahutule fell first ball but BPCL were still favourites, requiring 4 off 5 balls with Kaul still batting. However, they managed just two more, failing to dispatch Mota, and slipped to an agonising defeat.The star with the bat for TSC was Dhruv Singh, who led his team’s recovery from 109 for 5 with an attacking 115. He was supported down the order by Mota, who chipped in with 30 – part of a decisive all-round effort – and Ajit Agarkar, who blasted 31 off 19 to stretch his team’s score to one they barely managed to defend.Group C Air India eased to their second straight win in the tournament, beating Chemplast by six wickets in Hyderabad. Even a century from Napoleon Einstein and a score of 278 wasn’t enough in the wake of a solid reply from AI’s batsmen. Captain Mohammad Kaif took the lead in steering his team home, making an unbeaten 82 in 88 balls including four fours and two sixes. And there was ample support from the rest. Hrishikesh Kanitkar scored a run-a-ball 53 in a 118-run stand with Kaif, while Sushant Marathe and Chandan Madan put the chase on track with a 70-run stand. Victory was secured without much fuss with 14 balls to spare.Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited edged State Bank of Mysore by five runs in a fascinating encounter in Hyderabad. Both teams were bowled out, there were no half-centuries in the match and yet there were 575 runs scored in all.BSNL opted to bat and seemed to be on track for a more challenging score with a series of consistent contributions from the batsmen in the top and middle orders. Monish Mishra made 39, NS Negi made 41 and Niranjan Behera chipped in with 36 but what was missing was a more substantial innings. Chethan William grabbed three wickets while every other bowler chipped in with at least a wicket to keep BSNL in check and restrict them to a score of 240.SBM were in a good position to secure a win at 152 for 3 but offspinner Kamlesh Makvana broke a 76-run stand between William and B Akhil. He dismissed both batsmen and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Diwan stepped in to trigger a collapse where the last five wickets fell for 31 runs to deprive SBM of a win.Group D State Bank of Patiala and Income Tax (India) served up the third closely-fought game of the day, with the former prevailing by 17 runs in Bangalore. SBP batted first and squandered an excellent start provided by their openers, R Rehni and Ravi Inder Singh, who added 101. Inder Singh made 75 but there were no major contributions from the rest. Spinners Ankit Sharma and Parag Khanapurkar grabbed seven wickets between them to help skittle out SBP for 218. SBP held the edge in the chase, limiting IT for 104 for 6 at one stage. But wicketkeeper Amol Ubarhande and Rohit Dahiya tried to revive the innings with a 57-run stand for the seventh wicket, but SBP fought back. Mukesh Sharma chipped away at the rest of the line-up, finishing with 5 for 26, and ending IT’s innings with more than three overs to spare.Oil and Natural Gas Corporation raced to victory against Madras Rubber Factory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Despite good starts, the MRF top-order batsmen fell in pairs. The openers Thalavan Sargunam and S Anirudha fell with the score on 87, Sridharan Sriram and Y Gnaneswara Rao then fell in a space of three runs. Venugopal Rao remained unbeaten on 83 but MRF had been in a position to post more than 242 for 6. The score proved inadequate. Praveen Kumar, who opens the bowling for India, shone in his role as a batsman at the top of the order, giving the ONGC innings a boost with a quickfire 54. His opening partner Sandeep Sharma made 75 while Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten to steer their team to victory with 73 balls to spare.
Delhi will remain host for the fourth Test between India and South Africa. Hearing the issue for the third day in a row, a two-judge divisional bench of the Delhi High Court asked the Delhi government’s excise department to grant a no-objection certificate, thus clearing the final hurdle for the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) to host the match at the Feroz Shah Kotla.The court also asked the DDCA to furnish a payment of Rs 1 crore (US$ 150,000 approx) to the excise department with the money to be paid in two instalments of Rs 50 lakh each – the first in the next two weeks and the remainder in the subsequent four weeks. The court also set November 27 as the next date of hearing to deal with the overall entertainment tax of Rs 24.46 crore (US$ 3.7 million approx) the DDCA owes the excise department from 2008. The court also asked the government to not take any “coercive” action against the DDCA, which has challenged the calculations of the tax and called it unfair. But that hearing will have no bearing on the Test.According to Ravinder Manchanda, the DDCA treasurer, the BCCI will release the much-needed grants to organise the match. “We have spoken to Anurag Thakur and he has already told us we will be getting the BCCI grant,” Manchanda said. Thakur could not be contacted for confirmation and there was no official release issued by the BCCI.The court’s decision brought to an end a week-long drama that had the DDCA getting involved in a tug of war with the Delhi government and a group of former and current cricketers that had alleged corruption, mismanagement and various wrongdoings by the state’s cricket administrators.The BCCI set a deadline of November 17 for the DDCA to seek all the necessary clearance from the government agencies to host the match, which is scheduled from December 3 to 7. In case the DDCA failed to get things sorted out, the BCCI had finalised Pune as the back-up venue.Serious doubts over Delhi hosting the match emerged after a three-member panel appointed by the Delhi government, having conducted a fast-track probe in to the running of the DDCA, recommended the association be suspended by the BCCI and a body of professional cricketers run the game in state in the interim.A combative DDCA then approached the court to seek its intervention to procure the necessary clearances form the various government agencies like the south Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), excise department, fire and safety department, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Land and Development Office, and Delhi Urban Arts Commission.Although the two justices – BR Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva – facilitated the clearances, they made it clear to the DDCA that this was the last time the court would bail out the DDCA. They asked the DDCA to sort out the issues by March 31, 2016.The first indication that Delhi was likely to stay as the venue came on late Wednesday afternoon when the court appointed former chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mukul Mudgal as the observer for the Test match. The court said Mudgal could take the help of an “accounts knowing person” if he wanted.Mudgal’s appointment was welcomed by the DDCA, but its administrators would be on the edge considering the court asked him to ensure the state body takes earnest steps to resolve the pending issues relating to clearances from various government agencies.
A former South African national player has been charged with corruption involving match-fixing, ESPNcricinfo has learned.The player, who has yet to be named, is understood to be the same “intermediary” who was the subject of a CSA press release in December, following attempts to influence results in South Africa’s domestic competition, the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.In their original statement, CSA said the intermediary had been charged under its anti-corruption code with “contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects” of the 2014-15 domestic Twenty20 competition.The person involved had also been charged with “failing, or refusing without compelling justification, to cooperate with an investigation carried out by an anti-corruption official.”South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act Law was introduced in 2004 and included a so-called “Hansie clause” to tackle corruption in sporting events, such as those for which Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s former captain, received a life ban from cricket in 2000.ESPNcricinfo also understands that other players involved in the competition will face the lesser charge of failing to report an approach, a breach of the ICC anti-corruption code that carries a ban of up to five years if found guilty.”Our attitude to corruption will always be one of zero tolerance and we are confident that we have the necessary structures in place to effectively deal with any corrupt activity,” said Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, in December.”We will relentlessly pursue under our code and the law of the land any persons we believe to be involved in corrupting the game and, with assistance from the police, we will also seek criminal prosecution.”
Nearly a year ago, Australia arrived at Eden Park for their only away match of the World Cup. The 55-metre straight boundaries had their batsmen licking their lips and their bowlers scratching their heads. Big scores were expected. Instead, Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc provided a reminder that if the ball is swinging the boundary size is irrelevant, as they rattled stumps throughout the game. In all, 19 wickets fell for 303 runs.This time there is no Starc, as he continues to recover from ankle surgery, though Boult is available for New Zealand. In fact, none of Australia’s three frontline bowlers from that match will be playing – Pat Cummins is also injured and Mitchell Johnson has retired. Instead, the pace attack will be made up of some combination of Josh Hazlewood, John Hastings, Scott Boland, Kane Richardson, James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh, who played in that game but bowled only one over.Swing will again be key in Wednesday’s match, the first in a three-game Chappell-Hadlee series ahead of the two Tests. Australia are coming off a 4-1 series win at home against India, in matches where 295 was the lowest first-innings score made, and New Zealand are coming off a 2-0 win over Pakistan, which ended with Sunday’s win at Eden Park, where Pakistan made 290 and New Zealand chased a Duckworth-Lewis target of 263 inside 43 overs.Australia’s recent form against India will give them confidence that they can chase almost any target on the smaller grounds in New Zealand, although that will also depend on what kind of pitches are served up after the flat tracks in Australia. Faulkner, who was Man of the Match in the World Cup final against New Zealand but missed the Auckland game through injury, said conditions would determine whether this series swayed towards enormous totals or lower ones.”There’s no reason why… teams can’t get 350 or 400,” Faulkner said. “A lot of it just comes down to conditions. If it’s swinging around, which we think it would over there, the ball will be moving like it did throughout the World Cup. It’s obviously a lot tougher and early wickets tend to fall. Every team at the moment is setting up to go hard in the first 10, consolidate through the middle and try and have wickets in the shed to try and launch.”Especially with the smaller boundaries, I think if you find the ball isn’t moving, there will be high scores. But if it is, it’s obviously a lot tougher for the opening batsmen to adjust. More times than not at the moment 300 tends to be the base and every run over that is so valuable because every single batter in most teams can bat these days, so it makes it really tough for the bowlers.”Faulkner himself was reminded of the challenges faced by bowlers in ODI cricket last month against India, when he leaked more than a run a ball throughout the series. However, the Australians still managed to win the series comfortably due to the success of their batsmen, and Faulkner noted that the evolution of the one-day game had meant bowlers had to accept that their figures would balloon significantly compared to a few years ago.”I think it’s just the way the game has changed,” he said. “When the first rule came out with only four fielders outside the circle and the Powerplay between 35 and 40, it really shook the game up and I think initially it was a bit of a shock – a lot of people were seeing bowlers going for 70 or 80 off their 10 overs and thinking gee they’ve been whacked around the park compared to what it used to be back in the day of 40-45.”I think it’s just the public and all the players understanding how the game has evolved and T20 has had a hell of a lot to do with that. I think every bowler depending on where they’re bowling, whether it’s up front, whether it’s at the death or through the middle, will have their own little goals but I think now people aren’t really looking at how many runs necessarily; it’s about when they are bowling and how successful they are to certain batters at certain times.”I’ve definitely noticed it at the back end in particular, when you’ve got wickets in hand, it’s so hard to defend. It doesn’t matter how good you are and if you execute, teams can still hit you for a minimum of 10-12 runs an over. So if you’re going into the last 10 only two down, if you’re not getting 100 plus off that I don’t think you’ve done well enough with the bat.”The success of Australia’s batsmen against India meant that Faulkner’s batting was hardly required during the series, although he did play one key innings during the win at the MCG, seeing Australia home in their chase alongside Glenn Maxwell. Faulkner’s finishing with the bat could be important for Australia at the World T20 in India next month and while the selectors may consider form in this ODI series when choosing that squad, Faulkner said his focus was purely on the ODIs.”I just think it’s going to be a great series all around,” he said. “I think obviously after both teams playing in the World Cup final and what New Zealand achieved… I’m expecting a really tough series. I think you’re going to see a really good brand of cricket with bat and ball, and a really good fierce competition.”
Left-arm fingerspinner Jayden Lennox has earned a maiden call-up to New Zealand’s white-ball squads for the India tour next month. He features in the ODI squad alongside uncapped bowling-allrounder Kristian Clarke, legspinning-allrounder Adithya Ashok, seam-bowling allrounder Josh Clarkson and fast bowler Michael Rae, who made his Test debut earlier this month against West Indies.Michael Bracewell will captain the 15-member ODI squad in the absence of Mitchell Santner, whose groin injury is being managed. Santner will return to lead the T20I squad, which features big-hitting batters Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson as well as Mark Chapman and Matt Henry, both of whom are returning from ankle and calf injuries respectively. Henry will miss the ODIs to continue his rehabilitation from a calf tear in a bid to return for the T20Is and the subsequent men’s T20 World Cup.Kane Williamson was unavailable for the ODIs because of his commitments in the SA20, where he will play for Durban’s Supergiants.Related
Allen to miss start of India T20I series
Gill left out of India's T20 World Cup squad
Clarke was called up to the ODI squad during the home series against England and then to the Test squad against West Indies but did not make his debut. Nathan Smith, William O’Rourke and Blair Tickner were not considered because of their side, back and shoulder injuries respectively, while Tom Latham will skip the ODIs for the birth of his third child. Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson and Zak Foulkes are part of both the white-ball squads while Rachin Ravindra and quick Jacob Duffy have been rested from the ODIs following a busy home summer.”Jayden has been an identified player of interest for some time and has some good New Zealand “A” experience under his belt,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of Lennox, who has picked up eight wickets in five Ford Trophy outings for Central Districts this season. “He’s consistently been one of the top performers in white-ball cricket domestically for a number of seasons.”Playing in the sub-continent is obviously very different to what we’re used to in New Zealand, so any opportunity we can get to expose our guys to those conditions can only be a good thing, especially prior to a T20 World Cup in the subcontinent.”Mitchell Hay and Devon Conway will keep wicket for the ODIs and T20Is, respectively. Lockie Ferguson (ILT20), Adam Milne (SA20), Finn Allen and Tim Seifert (both BBL) are slated to join the T20I squad at the back end of the series with an eye on the T20 World Cup.The tour starts with the ODIs from January 11 in Vadodara before the five-match T20I series begins on January 21 in Nagpur.
New Zealand ODI squad vs India
Michael Bracewell (capt), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kule Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young
New Zealand T20I squad vs India
Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi
Paul Stirling celebrates after notching his fifth ODI ton•Peter Della Penna
In a coaching tenure pockmarked by a lack of victories over Full Members, John Bracewell signed off on his time as Ireland coach with two straight wins in Sharjah as Ireland took the series decider by five wickets on Sunday night. George Dockrell’s first four-for in nearly three years was followed by a disdainful century from Paul Stirling, who finished as the leading run-scorer in the series.Afghanistan’s innings started in assured fashion with Dockrell being hit for six by Javed Ahmadi in the second over. In the sixth over, he carved Boyd Rankin through the off side for a series of boundaries. But the slightest pressure applied by Tim Murtagh resulted in the first mistake, Ahmadi forcing a pull in the seventh over to mid-off for 27. Rankin had Noor Ali Zadran dragging on in the next over and from there Ireland grew taller in the field.Whereas most of the Irish damage came from pace in the first two games, Dockrell and Stirling stepped up to take half the wickets. Stirling struck first, getting Asghar Stanikzai to skew a drive to backward point for 5 in the 18th over. Rahmat Shah then got out in arrogant fashion to give Dockrell his first, attempting to bring up a fifty with a six and instead picked out the tallest man on the field, Rankin at long-off.But it was the wicket of Mohammad Nabi that demonstrated Afghanistan’s lack of respect for Irish fingerspin, falling in identical circumstances to Stanikzai as a sliced drive found its way to Kevin O’Brien at short third man. Nasir Jamal picked out square leg with a sweep he middled, to give Dockrell his third and put Afghanistan on 109 for 6 with nearly 20 overs left.Rashid Khan fought gamely to keep Afghanistan in the match. He wound up finishing with a joint-top score of 44 and ended the series as Afghanistan’s second-highest scorer, a major indictment of the recognised batsmen. While he played orthodox strokes, his frustration grew as his remaining partners showed little willingness to apply themselves as Barry McCarthy ran off three straight wickets, two of those in the 41st over. Rashid began turning singles down in the 42nd over and stretched the innings into the 49th, giving the crowd a rise with a huge six off McCarthy into Second Industrial Street, before he was caught in the deep off the same bowler to end the innings.With Dawlat Zadran out nursing a niggling shoulder injury, Afghanistan made the curious call to bring in Shapoor Zadran, who had only played three ODIs since taking the new ball in the 2015 World Cup. Based on his performance on Sunday, he may have wrecked his chances of being in the touring party to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifiers after he was dismantled single-handedly by Stirling. The bruising opener drove Shapoor through extra cover for the first of his 11 fours in the third over, and then nearly took Shapoor’s head off with a searing straight drive in the fifth to knock him out of the attack.Afghanistan’s spinners made inroads in the interim with Mujeeb Zadran bowling William Porterfield for 4 in the next over to land a hopeful blow. Nabi was curiously held out of the attack until after drinks but struck in his second over, drawing Andy Balbirnie into a dance down the pitch for a stumping. Rashid had Niall O’Brien lbw to a legbreak that held its line to make it 96 for 3.But Gary Wilson and Stirling teamed for a half-century stand to straighten Ireland’s chase once more as Afghanistan went crooked with the return of Shapoor to the attack. Stirling hooked the first ball of the 29th over a statuesque Rahmat at long leg for a six that could have been a wicket. But Stirling showed his disdain for Shapoor’s medium-pace two balls later, getting on a knee to slog sweep him over the square-leg rope for six more.Stirling’s hammering of Shapoor culminated in the 36th over. In the space of four balls, he moved from 81 to a century with hooks for four and six over long leg, then a tennis swat over cover for six more. A front-foot pull over midwicket finished the sequence to bring up his sixth ODI century, off 93 balls.Stirling fell to a Rashid googly to end the next over and several of Afghanistan’s players graciously shook his hand before he exited the field to more applause from the Afghanistan fans who remained. Two fours by Kevin O’Brien off Mujeeb in the following over sealed the win with 12 overs to spare.For Ireland, the back-to-back wins after a humiliating loss in the series opener were a major confidence boost in their final scheduled series before the World Cup Qualifier. The series loss for Afghanistan, only their second in nine ODI series since the 2015 World Cup and first since a 2-1 defeat in Bangladesh in October 2016, may dent their standing as one of the pre-tournament favourites heading into Zimbabwe.
Hamburg's Germany international defender Jerome Boateng believes he will sign for Manchester City before the World Cup begins.
City have been in talks with the Bundesliga club since the end of the domestic season and Boateng believes an agreement is now close to being reached.
The 21-year-old centre-half could cost the Eastlands outfit around £10million.
"I am going to sign on before leaving for the World Cup and the deal will be completed," Boateng told German media.
"It has been decided that I am moving there."
Speaking about a recent meeting with City boss Roberto Mancini, he continued:"He came with two representatives to Hamburg and we chatted for one or two hours.
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"He convinced me to make the transfer. He believes that I will definitely need a few months to get settled in once in England, but that he sees so much potential in me that he will improve me.
"Even if many people say that I am going to struggle to make the breakthrough, I am confident that I will. I am not afraid of anybody."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Birmingham City goalkeeper Maik Taylor believes his Euro 2012 qualification hopes could suffer now that Ben Foster has been brought in from Manchester United.
The Northern Ireland stopper, 38, who played second fiddle to Joe Hart last term, recently signed a one-year extension at St Andrew’s.
He is fully expecting to be Foster’s understudy but is ready for the challenge to oust his new team-mate as he looks to remain in the international set-up.
Speaking to reporters, he said:“I imagine Foster will start the season as first choice so it will be up to me to push him and hopefully get in and get a few games.
“If he produces the level of performance of which he is capable – similar to Joe Hart last season – it’s going to make things extremely difficult for me.
“If I am not getting many games at Birmingham it’s going to be difficult with Northern Ireland, but I am up for the challenge.
“If I am not producing the goods and someone is there who’s playing well regularly for their club, then I’m sure Nigel Worthington would make the change.
“I am still enjoying the game and I love being involved with Northern Ireland so retirement is a long way off yet.
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“So hopefully I will keep performing at the level I know I can and help Northern Ireland qualify for Euro 2012.”
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Complementing my earlier article on Liverpool’s Greatest BRITISH XI of all time, the following eleven players represent the Reds’ finest imported players. So without further ado, I give you Liverpool’s Greatest Foreign XI of all time…
Jose Manuel Reina (Goalkeeper)
LFC Career: 2005 – Present
Apps/goals: 259/0
Honours: 1 FA Cup
Current Liverpool custodian Jose Manuel ‘Pepe’ Reina, son of former Spanish international Miguel Reina, has proven himself to be one of the world’s finest goalkeepers since moving to Anfield in the summer of 2005. Labelled “the best goalkeeper in Spain” by former manager Rafael Benitez upon his arrival at the club, Reina has managed to bring a level of calm and assuredness to the Reds’ rearguard not seen since the days of Ray Clemence. Blessed with unrivalled shot-stopping and distribution abilities, the charismatic Spaniard has claimed four Golden Glove awards in five of his seasons on Merseyside, as well as becoming the fastest goalkeeper to achieve 100 clean sheets in the club’s history. The goalkeeper has been touted by many as a future captain of the club; such is his love and affection for Liverpool.
Markus Babbel (Right-back)
LFC Career: 2000-2004
Apps/goals: 73/6
Honours: 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
Despite featuring less than 100 times for Liverpool, German full-back Markus Babbel retains a special place amongst the hearts of Reds fans. A classy, cultured, attacking right-back, Babbel performed with great distinction during Liverpool’s treble-winning season of 2001, with the German scoring the opening goal in the UEFA Cup final of that year against Alaves. Babbel also managed to score against arch-rivals Everton during that season, cementing his reputation in Anfield folklore. Despite fighting his way back from a crippling virus that saw him sidelined for an entire season, Babbel was unable to recapture his previous form and left Anfield for Stuttgart in the summer of 2004.
Sami Hyypia (Centre-back)
LFC Career: 1999-2009
Apps/goals: 464/35
Honours: 2 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 1 European Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
Regarded by most as former manager Gerard Houllier’s finest signing, the £2.5m paid to Dutch side Willem II in 1999 now looks like one of the biggest bargains of the last 20 years. Epitomizing consistency and class, the big Finn was a rock at the heart of Liverpool’s defence for the best part of ten years, forming tremendous partnerships with Stephane Henchoz and Jamie Carragher. A cornerstone of Liverpool’s historic treble of 2001, Hyypia also had a knack of scoring crucial goals in Europe, most notably a sweetly-struck volley against Juventus in 2005 and a towering header against Arsenal in 2008. Currently plying his trade at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, many expect Hyypia to return to Anfield in a coaching capacity at some time in the future.
Mark Lawrenson (Centre-back)
LFC Career: 1981-1988
Apps/goals: 356/18
Honours: 5 League Titles, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 1 European Cup
Despite being born in England, ‘Lawro’ qualifies for this team due to the fact he represented Republic of Ireland at international level. Signed from Brighton in 1981 for a (then) club record transfer fee of £900,000, Lawro went on to form half of one of the most impenetrable defensive partnerships of his day with Alan Hansen. Complementing Hansen’s elegance with considerable strength, the Eire international enjoyed a gloriously trophy-laden spell at Anfield. The former Brighton man’s finest moments at Liverpool include a resolute performance against Roma in the 1984 European Cup Final, and a terrific display against Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup Final of 1986. Whilst Lawro’s punditry ‘qualities’ divide opinion, his footballing credentials certainly don’t.
John Arne Riise (Left-back)
LFC Career: 2001-2008
Apps/goals: 348/31
Honours: 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 European Cup
Armed with arguably the most explosive left-foot in the modern game, Norwegian left-back (and sometime left-midfielder) John Arne Riise enthralled Reds fans during his seven-year stint at Anfield. Signed from French side Monaco, Riise swiftly became a fan favourite after a thunderous free-kick against fierce rivals Manchester United three months after his arrival. The flame-haired full-back played his part in Liverpool’s thrilling Champions League Final comeback of 2005, providing the cross from which Steven Gerrard headed Liverpool’s first goal. In addition to scoring the fast goal in League Cup Final history (after 45 seconds against Chelsea in 2005), Riise managed to convert a successful penalty in the side’s FA Cup Final shootout with West Ham United in 2006.
Patrik Berger (Left-midfield)
LFC Career: 1996-2003
Apps/goals: 196/35
Honours: 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups, 1 UEFA Cup
Like Riise (above), former Czech international was revered by Reds fans for his powerful left-foot. Berger was an instant hit upon his arrival in the summer of 1996, managing to score five goals in his first four appearances for the club. Berger’s finest moments at the club include a hat-trick against Chelsea in his second season at Anfield, and a superb free-kick against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but he is probably best remembered for the exquisite pass that set up Michael Owen’s last-gasp winner against Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup Final.
Dietmar Hamann (Centre-midfield)
LFC Career: 1999-2006
Apps/goals: 283/11
Honours: 2 FA Cups, 2 League Cup, 1 European Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
After impressing at fellow Premier League side Newcastle United in 1998/99, Hamann made the short trip south to Liverpool, where he became one of the club’s most influential players of the early 2000s. ‘Didi’ was a classy defensive midfielder, skilled at shielding the defence and nullifying opposition threats. Although famed for his spectacular long-range shooting (he won Premier League Goal of the Season for a strike against Portsmouth in 2003/04), Hamann’s Anfield tenure is best remembered by his contribution to the club’s successful Champions League Final win of 2005. Hamann’s second-half introduction was considered to be the catalyst for the club’s historic comeback, a fact made more impressive by the fact that Didi was nursing a broken toe at the time.
Jan Molby (Centre-midfield)
LFC Career: 1984-1996
Apps/goals: 292/61
Honours: 2 League titles, 2 FA Cups
Signed from Ajax in the wake of Graeme Souness’s Anfield exit, Jan Molby is considered by many to be the finest passer of the ball in Liverpool’s history. ‘The Great Dane’ made up for his lack of pace with his breathtaking technique and vision, skills supplemented by his unrivalled short and long-range passing abilities. ‘Big Jan’ was a confident and assured penalty-taker, with the former Denmark international missing just 3 from 45 spot-kicks for the Anfield side. Despite suffering from a spate of injuries in the middle and latter parts of his Liverpool career, Molby is still fondly remembered by Reds fans.
Ronnie Whelan (Centre-midfield)
LFC Career: 1979-1994
Apps/goals: 493/73
Honours: 6 League titles, 2 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 1 European Cup
Versatile midfielder Ronnie Whelan was a staple during Liverpool’s 1980s’ heyday. Arriving from Irish minnows Home Farm for the paltry fee of £35,000 in 1979, Whelan paid his dues in the side’s reserve team before establishing himself as a first-team regular in 1981/82. A versatile operator, Whelan had a penchant for spectacular goals, a proclivity demonstrated by a goal scored against Manchester United in the 1983 League Cup final. Injuries to Alan Hansen meant that Whelan was awarded captaincy in 1988/89, and the Irishman skippered the side to another league championship title in 1989/90.
Ray Houghton (Right-midfield)
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LFC Career: 1987-1992
Apps/goals: 202/38
Honours: 2 League titles, 2 FA Cups
Glasgow-born former Eire international Ray Houghton was a key component of Liverpool’s title-winning sides of the late 1980s. A hardworking and energetic player, Houghton chipped in with his fair share of goals and assists as Liverpool claimed the 1978/88 and 1989/90 league championship titles. Often overshadowed by team-mates Aldridge, Barnes and Beardsley, Houghton’s contributions to the side were of great importance; speaking of Houghton, former Liverpool colleague Steve Nicol said, “He was someone that you wouldn’t have realised how good he was unless you played with him.”
Fernando Torres (Striker)
LFC Career: 2007 – Present
Apps/goals: 116/72
Honours:
The current darling of the Kop, Liverpool’s current number nine Fernando Torres has already managed to write himself into Anfield folklore. After scoring on his full home debut against Premier League rivals Chelsea, ‘El Niño’ managed to notch up 24 league goals in his first season on Merseyside, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a foreign player in their debut Premier League season. Forming a dream partnership with Reds skipper Steven Gerrard, Torres continued to smash records, and a stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa in December 2009 meant that El Niño became the fastest player to score 50 league goals in Liverpool’s history (eclipsing the likes of Rush, Dalglish, Fowler and Hunt in the process). Still only 26, the best is still yet to come from Fernando Torres, an exciting prospect for Liverpool fans and a terrifying one for fans of all other teams.
Any glaring omissions! Let me know below… (or on twitter)
Follow all things Red at www.twitter.com/Liverpool_FFC
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