Past playersAlf Hanson
Years: 1933-1938
Appearances: 177
Goals: 52
His stay at Liverpool lasted a relatively short five-and-a-half seasons, and he unfortunately won nothing during his spell with the club, but Alf Hanson's goalscoring from an outside-left position earned a place in Reds history.
The Bootle-born winger crossed Stanley Park to represent Liverpool following an unsuccessful period with Everton; and like many before and after him, the move proved beneficial for the Reds.
Indeed, in just his fourth appearance Hanson struck a second goal for his new club – against the Blues at Anfield. The First Division fixture concluded with three points for the home side courtesy of a scarcely believable 7-4 scoreline.
Hanson was a consistent source of goals for Liverpool throughout the 1930s and in his first full season with the Reds – 1933-34 – he notched at a rate of exactly one-in-three: 13 times in 39 games.
His name was regularly etched on the scoresheet during the next season too, but injury restricted Hanson to just five appearances in 1935-36. Fortune would favour him soon, however.
Fully rehabilitated for the next campaign, Hanson added longevity to his well-known shooting prowess; the wide-man played every single league game and found the target a respectable 13 times. The feat was all the more impressive considering George Kay's team finished 18th in the standings.
Hanson's final year at Anfield – 1937-38 – was perhaps his finest; the sharp-shooter smashed home 15 goals, with all but one in the league, although the club could still only climb to 11th in the First Division.
His form had not gone unnoticed by the league's leading teams and Liverpool negotiated a club-record transfer fee of £7,500 with Chelsea for Hanson to move south in the summer of 1938.