**In the long list of Liverpool greats, Joe Fagan often sits quietly in the shadows of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.**
But make no mistake — without Joe Fagan, the golden era of the Reds might never have shone so brightly. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t crave headlines. In fact, if humility were a trophy, Joe would’ve needed a bigger cabinet.
Yet in 1984, the man who once walked to work in a sheepskin coat and flat cap delivered a feat no other English manager had ever achieved. While others talked tactics and scribbled on whiteboards, Joe simply got the job done.
From Manchester City wing half to bootroom legend, Fagan’s football life was shaped not in marble halls but muddy pitches.
When Liverpool came calling in 1958, he wasn’t handed the keys to the kingdom. He was given a seat at the backroom table — right where he felt most at home.
He worked quietly behind the scenes as reserve team coach, then assistant manager. The job? Build the future, polish the raw gems. Names like Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan, and Tommy Smith came through under his watch. No pressure, right?
Well, if you ask Joe, he’d tell you pressure was for bicycle tires.
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Let’s set the record straight. In his very first season as Liverpool boss, Fagan pulled off what no English manager had done before — he won the treble. And not just any treble. We’re talking about the European Cup (now Champions League), the First Division title (now the Premier League), and the League Cup. All in one breathtaking 1983-84 campaign.
Winning one trophy is hard. Two? That’s a parade. Three? That’s a place in history.
But Joe made it look like business as usual.
Ahead of the European Cup final in Rome, the team gathered, expecting a Churchill-style speech.
Joe stood, cleared his throat, and simply said: **“They’re not as good as us. Now the bus leaves at such a time so make sure you get plenty of rest before then and don’t be late!”**
That’s Joe. No drama, just belief.
That belief worked wonders. Liverpool beat Roma in their own backyard, lifting the club’s fourth European crown.
But his story isn’t just about silverware. It’s about how he got there. Fagan turned down a job at Everton — Liverpool’s fierce rivals — because he felt something special was building at Anfield. That hunch? Spot on.
He stayed loyal to the red side of Merseyside for 27 years, from bootroom to boardroom. And when it came time to lead, he did so with quiet authority and sharp wit.
One time, after a big win in Bucharest, Fagan silenced a roaring dressing room only to climb on a table and shout: **“You beauties!”** A rare show of emotion, yes. But that’s what that win meant to him.
Joe also knew when to give his players room to breathe — literally. While Roma trained in the hills before the 1984 final, Liverpool were sunbathing in Israel. **“Let them relax,”** he figured. **“They’ll be ready when it matters.”**
Spoiler alert: they were.
He once told Tommy Smith to start a fight during a slow-paced friendly just to get the blood pumping. That’s old-school motivation for you. Another time, after winning the league, he celebrated by… sweeping the dressing room floor.
As captain Graeme Souness once said, **“It was typical Joe.”**
He never chased the spotlight. In fact, you’d more likely find him sharing a scotch with Elton John in the bootroom (though pink gin? Absolutely not, lad).
Joe retired after two seasons in charge, but the Heysel Stadium disaster in his final game left a deep scar. He stepped away quietly, never managing again. Still, his impact was loud and lasting.
Fagan passed away in 2001. But in Anfield’s walls — and in every trophy cabinet — it’s clear he never really left.
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