Past playersBill Jones

A true sportsman who also enjoyed participating in cricket and golf, the Englishman was rewarded for his patience with a league winner's medal in his maiden season as a senior starter at Anfield.

George Kay's side pipped Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers to the championship by a single point at the conclusion of a dramatic 1946-47 campaign, during which Jones featured 26 times and contributed two goals.

Jones' versatility was perhaps his most revered quality, being capable of filling in for others at almost any position on the pitch – a vital attribute during an age without substitutions.

Unfortunately, the Reds would never reach those heights again during the centre-half's stay at Anfield as Liverpool slumped to the lower echelons of the league standings after being crowned champions.

There was also FA Cup final disappointment for the club again in 1950; Jones was famously selected ahead of future manager Bob Paisley for the match but could not prevent his team from losing 2-0 against Arsenal.

Performances continued to degrade following Liverpool's Wembley heartbreak – their second FA Cup final failure – and the Reds slipped perilously close to relegation despite the arrival of Don Welsh as boss.

Sadly for Jones, the club slid into the Second Division at the end of his final season at Anfield; he played 25 league games and pitched in with an impressive six goals from a variety of positions but the Reds finished rock-bottom in the 1953-54 standings.

Jones soon left Liverpool but would later return to Anfield as a scout during the 1960s, discovering – among others – soon-to-be World Cup winner Roger Hunt playing in a local match in Cheshire.