Past playersSammy Smyth

He went straight into the team and made his debut on January 3, 1953, when the Reds visited the club he had just signed from. But it was no happy return - Stoke City won 3-1.

Liverpool lost their next two matches as well to give them an unenviable record of just three points from the last 27 available and in very real danger of relegation to the Second Division.

After the run extended to just one league victory in 15 games, Smyth scored in the next three matches, all of which were won; and the seven goals he managed to score from 18 games were a big factor in the Reds just climbing to safety by the end of the season.

But a year later an even better strike-rate, 13 from 26 games, couldn't prevent relegation, and the last of Smyth's 44 league appearances for Liverpool came on the final day of the 1953-54 season (a 1-0 defeat by Blackpool), by which time their fate had already been sealed despite a late rally that included four victories in six games.

After two years at Anfield, Smyth returned to his native Northern Ireland.