PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Mark Wright

Mark Wright : Centre Half (1991-1998)
Date of Birth: 01-08-1963
Birthplace: Dorchester
Debut : 17th August 1991 v Oldham Athletic (H) Football League Division One: won 2-1
1st team games: 210
1st team goals: 7
Other clubs: Oxford United, Southampton and Derby County, Southport (manager), Oxford United (manager)
International caps while with Liverpool: 5 (England)
International goals while with Liverpool:
Honours with Liverpool: FA Cup 1992

PROFILE

Stylish England international Mark Wright was signed by Graeme Souness from Derby County for �2.2 million in the summer of 1991, and was soon joined at Anfield by Rams team-mate Dean Saunders.
With Alan Hansen retired, Glenn Hysen soon to go and Gary Gillespie moving on to Celtic, Liverpool were desperate for a centre half of quality, and after his courageous display's for England in the 1990 World Cup Wright fitted the bill perfectly.

Having made his Reds debut in the 2-1 win over Oldham Athletic at Anfield in August 1991, disaster came in his second game when he limped off after an hour in the 2-1 defeat by Manchester City at Maine Road. This was to be the start of many niggling injuries in his first season at Anfield but he did bounce back in style.

With Ronnie Whelan injured, Souness made Wright captain and his proudest moment came when he lifted the FA Cup at Wembley in 1992 after Liverpool defeated Sunderland 2-0.

However, that high was followed by a series of despairing lows with loss of form and injury problems set in. Wright lost the captaincy the following season and lost his place to the Dane Torben Piechnik.

More problems arose when Souness left Anfield and Roy Evans took sole charge. In the summer of 1994 Wright, along with Julian Dicks were relegated to the reserves after a 4-1 pre-season defeat at Bolton with Evans criticising the pair for attitude problems.

When Evans then signed John Scales and Phil Babb the writing looked to be on the wall for Wright but you can't keep a good man down and, in true three lions bravery, the England star bounced back to the team.

An Achilles problem and a knot of scar tissue higher up his leg was restricting Wright's progress and in a move of desperation he turned to blind physiotherapist Norman Collins for treatment. Collins was well known in the business for quick recovery and sure enough sorted out Wright's problem and the player was back in training.

Free of injury Wright worked harder than ever and was rewarded with a first team recall as a replacement for the injured Scales in March 1995 against Manchester United at Anfield. His performance that day signalled that Wright was back in business and a man of the match display saw Liverpool beat their fierce rivals 2-0.

Although he wasn't included in the 13 for the Coca Cola Cup win at Wembley in 1995, Wright was back the following season and with Scales moving to Tottenham he was back in his favoured position in a back three, playing 41 matches in the campaign.

A good leader and talker at the back, Wright was comfortable at bringing the ball out of defence and setting up attacks. He also chipped in with some memorable goals including a blistering drive against Queens Park Rangers in February 1996, and a header that gave the Reds brief hope against Paris St Germain in the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final defeat.

Wright left Anfield in 1998 after retiring due to injury and pursued a career in management. His first post arrived fairly locally as manager of Conference side Southport for the 2000-2001 season and he did a fine job, steering the Haig Avenue outfit to a finishing position in the top five.

However, following a disagreement with the Southport chairman of whether the club should go professional or not Wright left, but was quickly back in football being appointed manager of his old club Oxford United.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Paul Ince

Paul Ince : Midfield – 1997-99
Date of Birth: 21/10/1967
Birthplace: Ilford
Debut: v Wimbledon. 9th August 1997, drew 1-1
1st team games: 80
1st team goals: 17
Other clubs: West Ham, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Middlesbrough, Wolves.
Honours with Liverpool: None


PROFILE

The self confessed 'Guvnor' Paul Ince was signed by Roy Evans for £4.5 million from Inter Milan to add some steel to the midfield and was seen by many as the ideal partner for Jamie Redknapp.

However Redknapp was injured for the first 10 games of the 1997-98 season and Ince partnered Michael Thomas in midfield. Former Manchester United star Ince shocked Manchester and Liverpool when he decided to join the Anfield club and was seen as the replacement for John Barnes who moved on to Newcastle.

The early days were encouraging as Ince settled in well and scored on his home debut but it was to end in disappointment as Leicester beat Liverpool 2-1.

In his first season at Liverpool the Reds finished third in the Premiership and Ince's best moment of the campaign was scoring a derby goal in a 1-1 draw with Everton at Anfield.

The following season there was a clash of personalities at the club between Ince and the new management of Gerard Houllier and Phil Thompson. Ince struggled with consistency and found it hard to adapt to becoming the defensive midfielder Houllier wanted.

One pivotal moment in his final second season at the club was an FA Cup tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford. With 15 minutes left and Liverpool leading 1-0 Ince walked off the pitch to be replaced by Jason McAteer. Ince had played well and as soon as he left the field Liverpool threw the game away and lost 2-1. However he was roundly criticised by Liverpool fans who felt he could have stayed on the pitch and played through the pain barrier, rather than walk off demanding to be substituted.

He did end his Liverpool career on a high on the pitch, scoring a late equaliser against Manchester United at Anfield in front of the Kop as the Reds came back from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw. Ince also scored in his final game as Liverpool beat Wimbledon 3-0 at Anfield.

After leaving Liverpool he continued playing in the Premiership for Middlesbrough and later Wolves.

PAST PLAYER PROFILE - Stephane Henchoz

Stephane Henchoz : Defender (1999-2005)
Date of Birth: 07/09/1974
Birthplace: Billens, Switzerland
Debut : v Hull City, September 1999, won 4-2
1st team games: 205
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: Stade Payerne, Bulle, Xamax Neuchatel, SV Hamburg, Blackburn Rovers, Celtic, Wigan Athletic
International caps : 69 (Switzerland)
International goals: 0
Honours with Liverpool: -

PROFILE

Stephane Henchoz left Liverpool in January 2005 to begin a new career with Celtic after joining the Glasgow side on a short term deal until the end of the 2005/06 season.

Henchoz returned to the Premiership in the 2005/06 season when he had a very successful campaign with newly promoted Wigan Athletic.


During his five-and-a-half year stay at Anfield Henchoz proved to be an inspirational signing and was popular with the Liverpool fans. Unfortunately the past two seasons were interrupted due to spells of injury but he still surpassed the 200 mark of games for Liverpool in 2003/04.

With Gerard Houllier preferring Igor Biscan at centre half Henchoz became something of a bit part player appearing as an occasional right back. However it was surely no surprise that results started to improve and Liverpool made the fourth place when Henchoz returned alongside Sami Hyypia in 2003/04.
Together with partner Hyypia, they make a formidable pair and are the rocks upon which the team is based.

Henchoz missed a large part of the 2002/03 season due to injury and it surely wasn't any coincidence that without him Liverpool's defence looked vulnerable and the Reds missed out on the Champions League. However the Swiss defender did return from injury to play in the 2003 Worthington Cup win over Manchester United in Cardiff.
Stephane was signed from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 1999. When Blackburn were relegated, Gerard Houllier moved swiftly to bring the cultured Swiss international to Anfield for a bargain 3.5 million, beating off competition from other interested European clubs.

Unfortunately the Liverpool supporters had to wait to witness the appearance of Henchoz in a red shirt. A groin injury delayed his debut and he became the last of the club's seven signings that summer to make his debut in the 4-2 win over Hull City in the Worthington Cup in September 1999.
Strong in the air and an uncompromising man marker, Henchoz became a vital member of the much improved Liverpool rearguard and was an unsung hero of the Reds' treble success.

He never scored from Liverpool in a senior match apart from a penalty in the Carling Cup win at Tottenham in the 2004/05 season, and in pre-season 2004 he scored in a pre-season friendly against Celtic.