‘The Secret Footballer’, Dave Kitson, has revealed that Anfield is the only stadium he ever felt genuine emotion, comparing Liverpool’s entrance to “like a bullet in the head.”
With ‘The Secret Footballer’s’ identity revealed as former striker Kitson, who played 81 times in the Premier League, he has given a fascinating interview in which he praises Liverpool’s atmosphere.
Kitson played at Anfield twice in his career, both in 2008, once with Stoke and once for Reading.
In a revealing interview, the former footballer told Liberty Rock Sport: “The crowds never bothered me. The stadiums never bothered me. I was never overly impressed by playing somewhere.
“The only one where I ever felt genuine sort of emotion was Anfield.
“When I came out of the tunnel at Anfield and you had those Fagan and Paisley and Shankly and all these flags, and you think, ‘Oh my, you know. This is as good as it gets’.”
On the two occasions he played at Anfield, he drew 0-0 with Stoke and lost 2-1 with Reading. Kitson isn’t the only ex-pro to share a similar opinion of Liverpool’s atmosphere.
He added: “There’s the first tones of You’ll Never Walk Alone, there’s the flags. It’s not necessarily showmanship, it’s a celebration of ‘this is who we are, we are the biggest club’.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, March 15, 2008: Liverpool's Xabi Alonso and Reading's Dave Kitson in action during the Premiership match at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“That’s how they carry themselves, whether you agree with it or not.
“‘We are the biggest club in this country, one of the biggest clubs in the world and this is what we’ve won and we are going to shove it in your face.’
“But they’re proud of it as well. It’s an interesting dynamic. If you’re not careful, you can find yourself getting a little bit unfocused.”
This Is Anfield sign “like a bullet in the head”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, August 20, 2025: The famous "This is Anfield sign in the players' tunnel at Anfield Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
While the crowd make the noise around the pitch, back down the tunnel, the intimidation starts early.
Since 1972, the famous ‘This Is Anfield’ sign has adorned the wall above the heads of the players as they walk out into the Liverpool colosseum.
Kitson doesn’t think you can underestimate the effect it can have on players, saying: “That sign (This Is Anfield), interestingly, when I began to study psychology I thought about that sign. And that sign obviously didn’t start out to be what it is now, but it is.
“‘This is Anfield’ is like a bullet in the head if you’re an opposition player. I do remember one of my players saying, ‘Oh, good. We made it to the right place’, which kind of relaxed everybody a little bit.”
The secret footballer isn’t quite right about the origins of the sign, though; Bill Shankly actually always did intend for it to torment the opposition and boost the men in red.
In fact, on the wall next to the sign in the new Main Stand are Shankly’s words: “It is there to remind our lads who they’re playing for, and to remind the opposition who they’re playing against.”
Danny Dwyer, once Liverpool FC Stadium Tour Guide, explained to This Is Anfield: “It was actually recommended to him by a groundsman.
“The groundsman then went to our then-secretary Peter Robinson and said, ‘Listen, let’s put a sign up in the players’ tunnel’.
“And then Shankly approved it, but the original sign which was recommended said, ‘Welcome to Anfield’.
“Bill said, ‘No. We’re not having that, you’re not here to have a good time, you’re not here to have a nice day, let’s have This Is Anfield’.”