LFC Quotes

1 "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." Bill Shankly

2 "If Everton were playing at the bottom of the garden, I'd pull the curtains." Bill Shankly

3 "The trouble with referees is that they know the rules, but they don't know the game." Bill Shankly

4 "A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe that you are the best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Liverpool we always said we had the best two teams in Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves." Bill Shankly

5 "If you're in the penalty area and don't know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we'll discuss the options later." Bob Paisley

6 "Liverpool was made for me and I was made for Liverpool." Bill Shankly

7 "Liverpool without European football is like a banquet without wine." Roy Evans




8 "Mind you, I've been here during the bad times too - one year we came second." Bob Paisley

9 "I hate talking about football. I just do it, you know?" Robbie Fowler

10 "Sometimes I feel I'm hardly wanted in this Liverpool team. If I get two or three saves to make, I've had a busy day." Ray Clemence

11 "Anyone who doesn't learn from Ian Rush needs shooting." Robbie Fowler

12 "Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic." Emlyn Hughes

13 "I'd kick my own brother if necessary... it's what being a professional footballer is all about." Steve McMahon

14 "It was like playing in a foreign country." Ian Rush on his time with Juventus in Italy

15 "I said to Kevin (Keegan), 'I'll go near post' and he replied, 'No, just go for the ball.'" Tommy Smith

16 "Anybody who plays for me should be a bad loser." Graeme Souness.

17 "It's best being a striker. If you miss five then score the winner, you're a hero. The goalkeeper can play a blinder, then let one in… and he's a villain." Ian Rush

18 "Of course I didn't take my wife to see Rochdale as an anniversary present, it was her birthday. Would I have got married in the football season? Anyway, it was Rochdale reserves." Bill Shankly

19 "They compare Steve McManaman to Steve Heighway and he's nothing like him, but I can see why - it's because he's a bit different." Kevin Keegan



20 "Bruce Grobbelaar will play on until he is 40 - and at the top level." Bruce Grobbelaar

21 "He's better than Brian Lara because he's 600 not out. What a guy." Roy Evans on Ian Rush's 600th appearance for Liverpool

22 "Should the aggregate score be level after 90 minutes, extra time will be played." Fulham's matchday programme for the second leg of the Littlewoods Cup tie in 1986-87. Liverpool were 10-0 up from the first leg

23 "There are those who say maybe I should forget about football. Maybe I should forget about breathing." Gerard Houllier

24 "Nobody likes being criticised, particularly by players who will be in Disneyland this summer on their holidays rather than the World Cup in Japan." Phil Thompson responding to criticism from Frank de Boer of Barcelona who said Liverpool were boring

25 "Son, you'll do well here as long as you remember two things. Don't over-eat and don't lose your accent." Bill Shankly to Ian St John

26 "If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing." Bill Shankly

27 "Don't worry Alan. At least you'll be able to play close to a great team!" Bill Shankly to Alan Ball after he signed for Everton

28 "Shanks was the father figure but Roger Hunt was something special. It might sound daft but just picking up his sweaty kit gave me satisfaction.” Phil Thompson

29 "As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, 'I'll be back." Gerard Houllier

30 "There is no way the second half can be as entertaining as the first." Alan Hansen during the UEFA Cup Final v Alaves with Liverpool leading 3-1 at half time

31 "We don't have any splits here. The players country is Liverpool Football Club and their language is football." Gerard Houllier

32 "It's there to remind our lads who they're playing for, and to remind the opposition who they're playing against." Bill Shankly about the 'This is Anfield' plaque

33 "Just go out and drop a few hand grenades all over the place son." Bill Shankly to Kevin Keegan

34 "It broke my heart to leave Liverpool." Kenny Dalglish

35 "Ay, here we are with problems at the top of the league." Bill Shankly suggesting to a journalist that Liverpool were in difficulties

36 "Where are you from?" "I'm a Liverpool fan from London." "Well laddie, what's it like to be in heaven?" Bill Shankly to a Liverpool fan

37 "Yes Roger Hunt misses a few, but he gets in the right place to miss them." Bill Shankly to a reporter

38 "With him in defence, we could play Arthur Askey in goal." Bill Shankly after signing Ron Yeats

39 "Steve Nicol never gives more than 120 per cent." Kevin Keegan

40 "At Liverpool we never accept second best." Kenny Dalglish

41 "Bill was so strong it was unbelievable. You couldn't shake him off the ball. It didn't matter where he was playing, though I suppose his best position was outside-left. He could go round you, or past you, or even straight through you sometimes!" Bob Paisley on Billy Liddell

42 "We will beat them one day, I can promise you that!" Gerard Houllier on Manchester United



43 "If anybody thinks either myself or my team are afraid of Liverpool, they can think again. I believe I've got a team that can go out and do the business against them." Coventry manager John Sillett before a match with Liverpool in 1987. Liverpool won 4-1 with Sillett declaring them champions elect in August.

44 "For me Liverpool can have Everton's title right now! Everton are good but Liverpool are better. They are the best in England – the side we can all learn from." Coventry boss John Sillett on Liverpool's title chances after Kenny Dalglish's new look team's second match of the season. Sillett was to be proved right as the 1987-88 Reds side of course went on to win the league

45 "You can't build a cathedral in a day. A look at the club's history tells you these things take time." Gerard Houllier

46. Barnes did what we expected him to do. He made a goal, scored one, and entertained. You remember that." Kenny Dalglish after John Barnes Anfield debut for Liverpool in a 2-0 win over Oxford in 1987

46 "He couldn't play anyway. I only wanted him for the reserve team!" Bill Shankly upon hearing Celtic's Lou Macari had snubbed Liverpool in favour of a move to Manchester United."

47 "Laddie, I never drop players, I only make changes." Bill Shankly to a journalist who criticised his team selection

48 "I don't believe everything Bill tells me about his players. Had they been that good, they'd not only have won the European Cup but the Ryder Cup, the Boat Race and even the Grand National!" Celtic manager Jock Stein on Bill Shankly

49 "We’ve got a lot of Cockneys in the team, but really, it doesn’t matter where they’re from – we’re all playing for Liverpool.” Robbie Fowler

50 "It's great grass at Anfield, professional grass!" Bill Shankly comparing the Anfield pitch to other grounds

51 "I owe Bob more than I owe anybody else in the game. There will never be another like him." Kenny Dalglish on Bob Paisley

52 "I go by records and Bob Paisley is the No 1 manager ever!" Alan Hansen.

53 "Liverpool wouldn't be the club it is today without Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley and the players who played there. When I first went there it was a typical Second Division ground and look at it now!" Ian Callaghan

54 "If Shankly was the Anfield foreman, Paisley was the brickie, ready to build an empire with his own hands." Tommy Smith

55 "I was Bob's first signing. He changed my life, as he did so many others. He gave us great memories and you can't put a price on that. He made me an adopted scouser." Phil Neal

56 "Bob's knowledge of players and the game in general is unsurpassed. Football has known no equal in management or prize-winning, but his modesty and dignity were overwhelming as he led this club from one triumph to another. His name will always be synonymous with Liverpool." Liverpool chairman David Moores on Bob Paisley

57 "Hold on a minute, John Wayne hasn't arrived yet." Bill Shankly to the awaiting TV crews and journalists for the press conference to announce he was retiring from football

58 "Liverpool had such a marvellous group of players. It was no surprise the trophies kept coming." Kenny Dalglish

59 "I may have left Liverpool but the city and club will always be part of me." Kenny Dalglish

60 "If Liverpool had waited until the summer, and then asked me to go back as manager, I would have gone back." Kenny Dalglish, having had time to reflect on standing down as Liverpool manager in 199

61 "He was the greatest person I know." Ron Yeats on Bill Shankly

62 "I always carry a picture of him, he comes into my conversation a lot; I learned a lot from him and owe the man a great deal." Kevin Keegan on Shankly

63 "The difference between Everton and the Queen Mary is that Everton carry more passengers!" Bill Shankly

64 On awaiting Everton's arrival for a derby game at Anfield, Bill Shankly gave a box of toilet rolls to the doorman and said: "Give them these when they arrive – they'll need them!"

65 "If Shankly had been paid overtime, he'd have been a millionaire." Tommy Docherty on Bill Shankly

66 "He's better than Platini, certainly better than Rumminegge and Maradona. For me he is the greatest footballer in the world." Graeme Souness on Kenny Dalglish


67 "I used to stand on the Kop when I was here in 1969. The atmosphere and passion on the pitch as well as the terraces was intoxicating and Liverpool became part of me from that day on." Gerard Houllier

68 "Our job is to make the fans happy. When we win, 45,000 people go home happy. When we lose, it not only affects them, it affects their cats." Gerard Houllier

69 "We don't destroy our heroes today when we worshipped them yesterday." Gerard Houllier.

70 'The only pleasure I take is that the fans are happy with the team. But I don’t believe in anything other than my team." Gerard Houllier.

71 "I notice a former captain of ours said recently that this squad is so good that we don’t need a manager. I took this as a great compliment. He must have changed his mind since leaving as he said at the time that Phil Thompson and I would drag the club down. On that point I suppose he was right - we dragged the club down to Cardiff three times in the last 10 months." Gerard Houllier referring to comments made by Paul Ince

72 “We scored 127 goals - the third highest total in the club's history. Although, if you believe everything you read in the papers, 126 probably came from a breakaway from the edge of our penalty area. The other one was probably an own goal.” Gerard Houllier

73 "Liverpool players must play like a lion, give his all. There must be determination, commitment and resolve to be a Liverpool player." Gerard Houllier

74 "These players are my true heroes." Gerard Houllier

75 "Players have responsibilities, because, whether they like it or not, they are public figures. They have to be aware that the people who come to the ground spend fortunes in relation to what they earn." Gerard Houllier

76 "When I see the Bill Shankly statue, I look at the sentiment on the base. It says: 'He made the people happy’. Well now the modern Liverpool is making the fans and the city happy. And that makes me so proud." Gerard Houllier

77 "To me, the team is more important than any individual member of the squad, and the players have to realise that and accept that my priority is to pick a side with the best possible chance of winning each match." Gerard Houllier

78 "I want to keep an English heart to the team. I believe in that. Michael Owen is that. Never think Michael is afraid of anything." Gerard Houllier

79 "At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques". Bill Shankly on boardroom meetings

80 "I'm just one of the people who stands on the kop. They think the same as I do, and I think the same as they do. It's a kind of marriage of people who like each other." Bill Shankly on the fans

81 "If he isn't named Footballer of the Year, football should be stopped and the men who picked any other player should be sent to the Kremlin" Bill Shankly on Tommy Smith

82 "It was the most difficult thing in the world, when I went to tell the chairman. It was like walking to the electric chair. That's the way it felt." Bill Shankly on the leaving of Liverpool

84 "The only thing I fear is missing an open goal in front of the Kop. I would die if that were to happen. When they start singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' my eyes start to water. There have been times when I've actually been crying while I've been playing". Kevin Keegan

85 The goal looked as big as the Mersey Tunnel." Ian St John after his winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup Final against Leeds.




86 "If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be." Bill Shankly on the off-side rule

87 "Take that bandage off. And what do you mean about YOUR knee? It's Liverpool's knee!" Bill Shankly to Tommy Smith, who had a bandage on his injured knee

88 “Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday at Wembley we might have lost the Cup but you the Liverpool people have won everything. You have won the admiration of the policemen in London and you have won the admiration of the public in London." Bill Shankly after losing the FA Cup in 1971 to Arsenal

89 "Chairman Mao has never seen a greater show of red strength." Bill Shankly

90 "It is our fifth trophy in just a matter of months and that shows what can be achieved when you have a united team who have great trust in each other." Gerard Houllier after Liverpool won the Super Cup in Monaco

91 "This was a special atmosphere only Anfield can produce. This was St Etienne part two and the fans cheered every tackle and it's one of the greatest nights in this football club's history." Phil Thompson after Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Roma in the Champions League 2002

92 "I will never forget today and I want to thank all the fans who gave me such a great ovation. They were immense. I thought I would get a decent reception but that surpassed all my wildest dreams. That sort of ovation is normally reserved for players who have won European Cups for a club. It was a brilliant day and it was nice to hear the Kop's humour at its best again when they were telling me to go back to Coventry." Gary McAllister after his last game for Liverpool at Anfield

93 "Playing Roma in Rome in the European Cup final and scoring a penalty in the shoot out to help us win it. That was my very last kick for Liverpool and it doesn't really get any better than that." Graeme Souness

94 "We are the real people's club." Sammy Lee




95 "He has not changed his religion." Gerard Houllier to a reporter when asked if Nick Barmby would become a recluse following his move from Everton to Liverpool

96 "I used to hate Ian Rush when I was young, because I was a devout Evertonian in those days, and he seemed to score every time Liverpool played against us. It's strange to think he used to support Everton too when he was a kid. He was brilliant to me at Anfield always giving me good advice." Robbie Fowler

97 "I was once offered Eric Cantona at Liverpool." Graeme Souness admitting he turned down the chance to sign the Frenchman during his reign as Liverpool manager

98 "You may have found me mean and thirsty in my search for trophies, but the bad news is the man who is taking my place is hungrier than me. Fagan's the name and I don't think he'll need any help from the Artful Dodger!" Bob Paisley on Joe Fagan

99 "If you can't make decisions in life, you're a bloody menace. You'd be better becoming an MP!" Bill Shankly

100 "I just hoped that after the trials and tribulations of my early years in management, someone up high would smile on me and guide my hand. My plea was answered when we got Kenny Dalglish. What a player, what a great professional!" Bob Paisley


101 "Rafa is a magician, a master tactician and a wonderful man. He is a great man, make no mistake about that." LFC Chairman David Moores.
102 "We just want to bring more trophies to the club for these amazing fans. They are the best. We have got just the right man to do that in Rafa." LFC Chairman David Moores.

103 "Rafa has the feel of this club, he knows the history of the club and he loves the people. I tell you what, we have got a good man." LFC Chairman David Moores.

104 "Rafa has brought the European Cup back to Liverpool and there was no doubts in our minds whatsoever that he would bring success to the club." LFC Chief Executive Rick Parry.

105 "How could I leave after a night like that? It was the greatest night of my life." Steven Gerrard after winning the Champions League in Istanbul.



106 "It was reported that we'd have 20,000 fans out here but there was much more than that. They are unbelievable and I dedicate this victory to them. We were a different team in the second half but by extra time we were running on empty and I'll admit were playing for penalties at the end." Steven Gerrard after winning the Champions League in Istanbul.

107 "I wanted to show everybody that I'm still a good footballer, that I still have something to say. I think I have succeeded with that goal and that penalty. It wasn't a nice view at half time, but we wanted to get a goal for our fans as we didn't want them to be sad. I'm spellbound by it all, this is maybe the greatest moment in my career." Istanbul hero Vladimir Smicer.

108 "They have done the city proud, they performed brilliantly and I always knew they were going to win. I was proudly wearing my scarf in No 10." Prime Ministers wife and Liverpool fan Cherie Blair after seeing the Reds win the Champions League.

109 "Carra came up to me after extra time and said 'Remember Grobbelaar and the rubbery legs of 84 - and do the same. Dance, do anything, put them off'!" Istanbul hero Jerzy Dudek after his penalty saving heroics.

110 "My brother phoned me the morning after the game and asked me had I seen the match again? I said no and he said you need to see it because your save from Schevchenko was the hand of the God. I told him I didn't know how I did it." Jerzy Dudek.

111 "This is the best moment of my career. The final was one of the greatest moments for all of us. We enjoyed that very much." Istanbul hero Jerzy Dudek.

112 "We celebrated into the night and it was magnificent. We had a few drinks, well maybe a bit more than a few!" Jerzy Dudek after the epic Champions League win over AC Milan.

113 "It is one of the greatest finals of all time and the save Jerzy Dudek made from Shevchenko at the end was unbelievable. I can't believe we've won. He'll be a legend now, not just for the penalties but because of the Shevchenko saves in the game itself. They were unbelievable." Jamie Carragher on Istanbul hero Jerzy Dudek.

114 "This is the best moment in my professional career. I am a European champion, and I cannot believe it." Xabi Alonso on the feeling of becoming a Champions League winner.

115 "This is without doubt my biggest night in football. At half-time we needed to do something and decided to make some changes. The early goal helped and with the backing of our wonderful supporters we went on from there. There is no way we could have went back out and lost by four or five goals in front of them. Once we started thinking and believing we could do it, anything was possible. In extra-time I was very proud of my players." Rafael Benitez after the epic Champions League victory.

116 "As a manager you are important sometimes and you make mistakes, but the most important people are your staff and your players. Never call me the special one!" Rafael Benitez.

117 "When you see the supporters and how the club works it is like a religion to them. We will try to do our best to bring more trophies back for them." Rafael Benitez.

118 "I didn't sleep with the European Cup but it was in my room! It was just special and I just had to have the cup with me, lifting the cup as Liverpool captain was just the best moment of my life." Steven Gerrard on who he spent the night with after the Istanbul final.

119 "Managers have to be like actors at times and Rafa Benitez deserves an Oscar for his half-time performance in the dressing room during the Champions League Final. His half-time performance when all was lost in Istanbul was the most astonishing of the whole amazing night." Sir Bobby Robson saluting Rafael Benitez after Liverpool's victory in Istanbul.

120 "I went so mad that I must have had a bit of a blackout. I just crashed to the floor somewhere and I can't remember a single thing that was going on around me for a few moments. What I do remember as I was lying on the floor was starting to cramp up again!" Jamie Carragher recalls how he felt after Dudek saved the decisive penalty from Schevchenko in Istanbul.

121 "The English club proved that miracles really do exist. I've now made Liverpool my English team. They showed that football is the most beautiful sport of all. The Liverpool supporters didn't let me go to sleep the night before, there were 10 of them to every three Milan supporters. They showed their unconditional support at half-time when they were losing 3-0 and still they didn't stop singing." World Cup legend Diego Maradona who was cheering for Liverpool in Istanbul.

122 There's not one club in Europe with an anthem like You'll Never Walk Alone. There's not one club in the world so united with the fans. I sat there watching the Liverpool fans and they sent shivers down my spine. A mass of 40,000 people became one force behind their team. That's something not many teams have. For that I admire Liverpool more than anything." Dutch legend Johan Cruyff after Istanbul.

123 "What Rafa has done this season surpasses, without any doubt, what any other manager has done. Jose Mourinho has won the league for Chelsea in his first season and made a real impact in England. But it doesn't come even close to winning the European Cup in your first season. Now Rafa can go and tell any press conference he likes, as Jose did, that he's the true champion. Mourinho can't say that any more. So is Rafa the special one too? Well, he is to Liverpool fans." Jamie Carragher.

124 "We were sitting in the dressing room and we could clearly hear thousands of fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone. Can you imagine how that felt? We were 3-0 down in the Champions League final and all we could hear were 45,000 people letting us know they still believed in us. We knew they had endured a long journey and made so many sacrifices to be there. It was at that point we started to believe too." Luis Garcia on what inspired the amazing comeback in Istanbul.

125 "Liverpool's fans are just amazing. The best feeling I have at away games is Anfield. It is just incredible. I love it. You get goose bumps when you see their supporters sing You'll Never Walk Alone." Arsenal and France star Thierry Henry.

126 "When you have the best player in the world in your side then you know that anything is possible. I was just praying for somebody to do something special and Stevie came up trumps again. When the ball hit the net I felt like running over to him to give him a big kiss but then I decided against it! Gerrard is the best for me. He is still young, he's got everything in his game and he can do whatever he wants in football. It was just brilliant to win the final. The odds were against us at one stage but there's a great belief in this team now and we never believe we are beaten." John Arne Riise hails FA Cup hero Steven Gerrard.

127 "We've got a great team spirit - It doesn't matter how many goals we go down, we'll keep fighting till the end." Steven Gerrard.

128 "Honest to God, I'm so happy it's frightening! I'm just so chuffed - that's all I can say. Obviously since I have left, deep down I have always wanted to come back and it has been a long time but I'm glad to say I'm back now." Robbie Fowler on his return to Anfield.

129 "Ever since I started at Liverpool as a kid the fans have taken to me and any player will tell you when the supporters of your club are behind you then that helps an awful lot. I just can't thank them enough. They've given me so much support over the years and I'm grateful for that." Kop hero Robbie Fowler.

130 "He is our talisman - I mean you just can't replace him. Thank goodness everything was sorted out last year! Everything's settled down now and I know he will be with us for life. He's an unbelievable player and I wouldn't swap him for anyone. He has got everything and never ceases to amaze. He has been magnificent, different class." LFC Chairman David Moores on Steven Gerrard.

131 "I'd put Steven in the top five or six players in the world. In my opinion, I would say he was probably the best. I don't think anyone else could play for Liverpool and do more than he does." Jamie Carragher on Steven Gerrard.