KENNY: I'M SO PROUD TO BE YOUR NO.1
Paul Eaton 06 October 2006
King Kenny Dalglish reflected on your decision to crown him the club's greatest ever Kop shaker and admitted: "You've made me a very proud man."
As revealed earlier on Liverpoolfc.tv, our legendary number seven has come out on top in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop series, beating off competition from Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush who finished second and third respectively.
After learning of his placing at the top of the Kop charts, an emotional Dalglish spoke to the club website.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Kenny, after counting up 110,000 votes we're delighted to tell you that Liverpool fans have voted you as the club’s biggest Kop shaker – how does that make you feel?
Kenny Dalglish: There has always been a special affinity between the Kop and the players from my time and everybody appreciated the help that they gave us. We were carrying out their dreams because they all wanted to play for Liverpool and so supporting them was the second best thing. At the same time, they did a lot of things that we’d have liked to do as well. We’d have liked to watch the games from the Kop to see first hand what it was like being in there. We knew and appreciated how much they meant to us off the pitch, but to have gone in there – and even taken your son in – would have been really special as well.
If that’s how the fans have voted then there must be one or two bad judges within that one hundred thousand, I’d have thought!
It’s fifteen years since you left Anfield so are you surprised that the fans still have such affection for you?
It surprises me that they’ve got a very good memory. It must be down to Liverpoolfc.tv or the new classic TV channel which shows old games. We all went out every week to do our job and try our best and the success and enjoyment we got from it was shared by everybody. I think after Hillsborough we showed everybody we were a family club. There was no ‘them and us’ attitude, it was just ‘us’. If we suffered then they suffered and vice versa.
I take this vote as a great compliment and it makes me feel a wee bit humble. As I said, all I ever did was try to play as well as I could and if the fans enjoyed it then I don’t think they could have enjoyed it as much as I did.
You experienced many highs as a Liverpool player – but is there one memory which stands out above the others?
I remember my first game here against Newcastle and there was a lad playing for them called Tommy Craig, who I’d played with in Glasgow for the schoolboys' teams since the age of 12. I met him at the top of the tunnel before the game and the ‘This is Anfield’ sign was above us. I pointed to it and said to him ‘that’s supposed to terrify you, but you don’t know what it’s doing to me. I think I’m having a heart attack here!’ But I went on and just after half time Ray Kennedy slipped me in and I scored my first goal at Anfield at the Kop end which was obviously memorable for me.
Another game which stands out was when we played against Tottenham and beat them 3-1 to win the league. At that time the fences had just gone up and I ran up to the fans but unfortunately couldn’t get in to celebrate with them because of the fences.
We did a lot of things that they weren’t able to do because we were on the pitch, but certainly the fans have got some great tales to tell about travelling to matches and the camaraderie and banter they enjoyed together. The fans were a big ingredient in our success and I’m sure the stories they have to tell is a main ingredient of the enjoyment they got from watching us play.
Let’s talk about some of the players who finished just below you in the voting – first of all John Barnes who came in at number 5.
John had everything. Apart from being brilliant technically, he also put in some shift on the pitch. Steve Heighway, Peter Thompson and Ian Callaghan were the wingers before John, but when he came he was totally different. He was a fantastic player and a natural left footer as well which none of the other three were. He couldn’t half play and as well as scoring goals he created a lot and never, ever shirked away from doing work on the pitch.
At number 4 was Robbie Fowler..
He was one of my favourites and still is. He came here at 15 years of age and started training at Melwood and you could see then he was different and how intelligent he was. When we had 5-a-side games the staff always made sure Robbie was on our side! He’s one of the most clever strikers we’ve seen and you have to say he’s a great finisher.
Ian Rush was voted into third place..
He probably just pips Robbie a bit in terms of finishing. He was a player everybody wanted in their side. He was quick, he could score from anywhere with his left foot, right foot or head and he was also our first line of defence. He was very good at frightening defenders. He was always available and whenever he got close to goal somebody had to work very hard to keep him out. His goalscoring record speaks for itself but he was also a very good player for the team.
The runners-up spot went to Steven Gerrard..
I thought he’d have beaten me! His contribution over the last three or four years has been fantastic. In many games his efforts have hauled Liverpool back into it and they’ve gone on to win. When you look at what he did against Olympiacos or West Ham or against numerous other teams then you have to say he has been fantastic. I would probably have picked him as the player whose contribution has been bigger than anyone elses. He’s still got a lot of time ahead of him and he’s only going to get better.
Thanks Kenny and, on behalf of the fans, congratulations once again.
Thanks very much. I’d just like to thank everybody for voting. You’ve made me a very proud man and if you enjoyed watching me playing then it wasn't half the enjoyment I got from playing here.
Paul Eaton 06 October 2006
King Kenny Dalglish reflected on your decision to crown him the club's greatest ever Kop shaker and admitted: "You've made me a very proud man."
As revealed earlier on Liverpoolfc.tv, our legendary number seven has come out on top in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop series, beating off competition from Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush who finished second and third respectively.
After learning of his placing at the top of the Kop charts, an emotional Dalglish spoke to the club website.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Kenny, after counting up 110,000 votes we're delighted to tell you that Liverpool fans have voted you as the club’s biggest Kop shaker – how does that make you feel?
Kenny Dalglish: There has always been a special affinity between the Kop and the players from my time and everybody appreciated the help that they gave us. We were carrying out their dreams because they all wanted to play for Liverpool and so supporting them was the second best thing. At the same time, they did a lot of things that we’d have liked to do as well. We’d have liked to watch the games from the Kop to see first hand what it was like being in there. We knew and appreciated how much they meant to us off the pitch, but to have gone in there – and even taken your son in – would have been really special as well.
If that’s how the fans have voted then there must be one or two bad judges within that one hundred thousand, I’d have thought!
It’s fifteen years since you left Anfield so are you surprised that the fans still have such affection for you?
It surprises me that they’ve got a very good memory. It must be down to Liverpoolfc.tv or the new classic TV channel which shows old games. We all went out every week to do our job and try our best and the success and enjoyment we got from it was shared by everybody. I think after Hillsborough we showed everybody we were a family club. There was no ‘them and us’ attitude, it was just ‘us’. If we suffered then they suffered and vice versa.
I take this vote as a great compliment and it makes me feel a wee bit humble. As I said, all I ever did was try to play as well as I could and if the fans enjoyed it then I don’t think they could have enjoyed it as much as I did.
You experienced many highs as a Liverpool player – but is there one memory which stands out above the others?
I remember my first game here against Newcastle and there was a lad playing for them called Tommy Craig, who I’d played with in Glasgow for the schoolboys' teams since the age of 12. I met him at the top of the tunnel before the game and the ‘This is Anfield’ sign was above us. I pointed to it and said to him ‘that’s supposed to terrify you, but you don’t know what it’s doing to me. I think I’m having a heart attack here!’ But I went on and just after half time Ray Kennedy slipped me in and I scored my first goal at Anfield at the Kop end which was obviously memorable for me.
Another game which stands out was when we played against Tottenham and beat them 3-1 to win the league. At that time the fences had just gone up and I ran up to the fans but unfortunately couldn’t get in to celebrate with them because of the fences.
We did a lot of things that they weren’t able to do because we were on the pitch, but certainly the fans have got some great tales to tell about travelling to matches and the camaraderie and banter they enjoyed together. The fans were a big ingredient in our success and I’m sure the stories they have to tell is a main ingredient of the enjoyment they got from watching us play.
Let’s talk about some of the players who finished just below you in the voting – first of all John Barnes who came in at number 5.
John had everything. Apart from being brilliant technically, he also put in some shift on the pitch. Steve Heighway, Peter Thompson and Ian Callaghan were the wingers before John, but when he came he was totally different. He was a fantastic player and a natural left footer as well which none of the other three were. He couldn’t half play and as well as scoring goals he created a lot and never, ever shirked away from doing work on the pitch.
At number 4 was Robbie Fowler..
He was one of my favourites and still is. He came here at 15 years of age and started training at Melwood and you could see then he was different and how intelligent he was. When we had 5-a-side games the staff always made sure Robbie was on our side! He’s one of the most clever strikers we’ve seen and you have to say he’s a great finisher.
Ian Rush was voted into third place..
He probably just pips Robbie a bit in terms of finishing. He was a player everybody wanted in their side. He was quick, he could score from anywhere with his left foot, right foot or head and he was also our first line of defence. He was very good at frightening defenders. He was always available and whenever he got close to goal somebody had to work very hard to keep him out. His goalscoring record speaks for itself but he was also a very good player for the team.
The runners-up spot went to Steven Gerrard..
I thought he’d have beaten me! His contribution over the last three or four years has been fantastic. In many games his efforts have hauled Liverpool back into it and they’ve gone on to win. When you look at what he did against Olympiacos or West Ham or against numerous other teams then you have to say he has been fantastic. I would probably have picked him as the player whose contribution has been bigger than anyone elses. He’s still got a lot of time ahead of him and he’s only going to get better.
Thanks Kenny and, on behalf of the fans, congratulations once again.
Thanks very much. I’d just like to thank everybody for voting. You’ve made me a very proud man and if you enjoyed watching me playing then it wasn't half the enjoyment I got from playing here.
Comment