Bill Shankly was one of the finest managers to have ever lived. For many, he is the greatest coach Liverpool ever had.
At Anfield, the Scot brought the Reds into the top flight after winning the Second Division in 1961/62 and then delivered three league titles, as well as two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup. His footballing ideology captured the hearts of Scousers and Liverpool fans around the world, making him perhaps the most important figure in the club's history.
For this reason, it may surprise many to learn that he named a rival Everton legend as the best striker in football history.
Bill Shankly on Dixie Dean
Compared him to 'Beethoven, Shakespeare and Rembrandt'
Even for modern football fans, the name Dixie Dean will ring a bell. After all, he still holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top-flight English football, with a remarkable tally of 60 – bagged in Everton's league championship-winning season of 1927/28.
With a career that spanned from 1923 to 1940, the Englishman scored goal after goal for club and country but was most prolific at Goodison Park. He finished his time with the Toffees, having netted 383 goals in 433 appearances, smashing 37 hat-tricks in that period.
His goals fired Everton to two First Division titles, and one in the Second Division, as well as the FA Cup and a pair of Charity Shields. His strike rate with England was even better, as he scored 18 goals despite only being capped 16 times by the Three Lions.
A true Everton legend, he sadly but suitably died at Goodison Park on 1 March 1980 at age 73, after having a heart attack while watching a game against rivals Liverpool. Speaking after his death, Shankly spoke of Dean in the highest of terms:
“Dixie was the greatest centre forward there will ever be. His record of goalscoring is the most amazing thing under the sun. He belongs in the company of the supremely great like Beethoven, Shakespeare and Rembrandt.”
As one of the greatest man-managers of all time, Shankly showed his quick wit when speaking at the Everton icon's funeral, as he remarked: "Dixie Dean dead could draw a bigger crowd than today's Everton, live."
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Dixie Dean's Legacy at Everton
Has a statue at Goodison Park
To this day, Dean is almost certainly the greatest footballer to have ever played for Everton. As such, it's no surprise that there is a statue of the iconic striker that was created in 2001 and stands erected outside the Park End of Goodison Park.
Even all these years on, his record of scoring 60 goals stands unbeaten. When asked if he thought it would ever be broken, Dean joked: "I think it will. But there's only one man who'll do it. That's the fellow that walks on the water. I think he's about the only one."
Stats via England Stats, Dixie Dean Hotel, and The Telegraph