Ian Callaghan

Ian Robert Callaghan MBE (born 10 April 1942) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He holds the record for most appearances for Liverpool.[2] He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1975 New Year Honours.[3]

Ian Callaghan
MBE
Callaghan in 2016
Personal information
Full nameIan Robert Callaghan
Date of birth (1942-04-10) 10 April 1942 (age 82)
Place of birthToxteth, Liverpool, England
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s)Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1959–1978Liverpool640(49)
1978Ft Lauderdale Strikers (loan)20(0)
1978–1981Swansea City76(1)
1979Canberra City (loan)9(0)
1981Cork United2(0)
1981Crewe Alexandra15(0)
Total762(50)
International career
1966–1977England4(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Liverpool

Callaghan played 857 times for Liverpool between 1960 and 1978, breaking into the first team just after the appointment of Bill Shankly as Liverpool manager. He made his debut on 16 April 1960 at Anfield in a 4–0 victory over Bristol Rovers. He was a regular member of the first team by the time Liverpool won promotion to the First Division in 1962, and went on to help them win the league title in 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976 and 1977, as well as the 1965 and 1974 FA Cup finals, the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976, and the European Cup in 1977 and (as a substitute) in 1978. He was voted FWA Footballer of the Year in 1974.[2] He was booked only once in his career, in the 1978 League Cup final replay at Old Trafford, which Liverpool lost to Nottingham Forest.[4]

Callaghan played in the 1977 European Cup final, when Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1, but in the 1978 season, which proved to be his last year at the club, his playing time was reduced as younger additions like Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish established themselves at the club. Callaghan was on the substitutes' bench when Liverpool retained the European Cup against Club Brugge in 1978.

Later career

Callaghan left Liverpool shortly after the 1978 European Cup final and signed for Swansea City, managed by former Liverpool striker John Toshack. He helped Swansea win a second successive promotion in 1979, which took them into the Second Division, and also had brief spells playing in the United States, Australia and Ireland towards the end of his career. He spent the final season of his career in the Fourth Division with Crewe Alexandra, making 15 appearances in the 1981–82 season and retiring as a player in his 40th year.[5]

International career

Of Irish descent,[6] Callaghan played four times at senior level for England.[7] Although he was in the squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he did not play in the final so did not receive a medal. He did play in the group-stage match against France on 20 July 1966, one of three wingers tried before manager Alf Ramsey decided to go with a team with no wingers. Following a Football Association-led campaign to persuade FIFA to award medals to all the winners' squad members, Callaghan was presented with his medal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street on 10 June 2009.[5]

After that 1966 match against France, Callaghan's next England appearance, his third, came against Switzerland on 7 September 1977, aged 35.[7] This gap of 11 years 49 days between appearances is the longest such interval for any England player.[8]

Career statistics

Club

Callaghan with Liverpool in 1966
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool[9]1959–60Second Division40000040
1960–61Second Division30002050
1961–62Second Division2315000281
1962–63First Division3726000432
1963–64First Division4285000478
1964–65First Division37681009155*8
1965–66First Division42510009053*5
1966–67First Division40340005150*4
1967–68First Division413902163587
1968–69First Division4284131205110
1969–70First Division413602042535
1970–71First Division230501050340
1971–72First Division41230304052*2
1972–73First Division4234080121664
1973–74First Division420906340613
1974–75First Division41120304151*2
1975–76First Division4032030121574
1976–77First Division33150217048*2
1977–78First Division26010706141*1
Total64049792426891185768
Fort Lauderdale Strikers1978NASL200200
Swansea City1978–79Third Division400400
1979–80Second Division361361
Total761800000761
Canberra City (loan)1979NSL9090
Cork United1980–81LOI2020
Crewe Alexandra1981–82Fourth Division150150
Career total76250882426891197968

* Includes one appearance in the FA Charity Shield

^ Includes one goal in the FA Charity Shield

International

Source:[1]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
England196620
197720
Total40

Honours

Liverpool

England

See also

References