Years: 1960-1978
Appearances: 857
Goals: 68
Trophies: Second Division (1961-62), First Division (1963-64, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77), FA Cup (1965, 1974), UEFA Cup (1973, 1976), European Cup (1977, 1978), UEFA Super Cup (1977)
Ian Callaghan represented Liverpool an astonishing 857 times – a feat that, in all likelihood, will never be overcome.
The holder of the Reds’ all-time appearance record was also a serial winner across 18 years of distinguished service.
Toxteth-born ‘Cally’ experienced it all with his boyhood club, rising from the Second Division to sitting at the top of European football.
“I was fortunate enough to be in great teams with great players and two great managers, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley,” he once said with typical modesty.
“I’m probably like a stick of rock – I’ve got LFC right through me.”
When Billy Liddell earmarked Callaghan as his successor as Liverpool’s star man, the teenager could have viewed it as the ultimate vote of confidence or even more pressure.
Thankfully, he embraced it positively and never looked back, earning a standing ovation on his debut against Bristol Rovers in April 1960, just six days after he had turned 18.
As a tricky and productive winger, Callaghan became a regular for Shankly in the 1961-62 season, when the side secured promotion back to the top flight.
More success followed in the remainder of that decade – including the immortalising moment of assisting Ian St John’s winner to deliver the club its first FA Cup trophy in 1965.