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| John
Aldridge: Forward in club 1987 - 1990 |
 A fervent Liverpool fan from a very early age, John must have thought his
chance of playing for his boyhood heroes had passed him by as he plied his trade around
the lower divisions with Newport County & Oxford United. But the imminent departure of
Ian Rush to Juventus meant that Kenny Dalglish needed to strengthen his attacking force
and John needed no second invitation when he finally made his 'dream move' to Anfield
early in 1987 at the age of 28.
All but 2 of his 10 appearances that season (1986-87) came as a substitute so it was not
perhaps surprising that he only scored twice. But once Rush had moved to Italy, John took
over the responsibility of leading the attack with devastating effect, scoring in each of
the first NINE League matches and totalling 26 by the time the season was over and the
championship had been safely secured. Normally so reliable from 12 yards, John sadly
became the first player to miss a penalty in an F.A. cup final at Wembley when Liverpool
were denied the Double by Wimbledon and he was immediately substituted; 12 months later in
the same event he scored with his first touch against Everton to add an F.A. cup winners'
medal to the championship won a year before and thereby complete his domestic set of
honours (he had already won the League cup as an Oxford player in 1986).
John added a further 21 League goals in 1988-89 but with Rush's return from Italy he
became surplus to requirements at Anfield. With a move to Real Sociedad looming, he seemed
unlikely to play for Liverpool again but was allowed to come off the bench when a penalty
was awarded in the 9-0 massacre of Crystal Palace in September 1989, Peter Beardsley
graciously making way for him. He tucked the spot-kick away with his usual efficiency and
threw his shirt and boots into the crowd at the end of an emotional farewell appearance.
John's goalscoring record wherever he has played speaks for itself and he managed 61 in
all competitions for Liverpool from just 88 matches (with a further 14 appearances as
substitute, many of them brief in his first few months at the club). |
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