The words 'They've won the league, bigger stars than Dallas/They got more silver than Buckingham Palace' echoed through the music charts 25 years ago this week with the release of the famous 'Anfield Rap'.

Before Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool team focused on the serious business of the 1988 FA Cup final against underdogs Wimbledon, the boys in Red followed tradition by releasing a song - but with a fascinating twist.

Popular midfielder Craig Johnston, ever keen to encourage something different - he would later create the renowned adidas Predator football boot - took inspiration from hip-hop to produce a track destined to live long in the memory.

"You two Scousers are always yapping
I'm gonna show you some serious rappin'"

"I just loved rap and it wasn't here. So I said to Barnes 'Do you do a bit of rap?' and he said 'I love that stuff'. I said what about we do a Liverpool song that's a rap?" the Australian Johnston said.

"I love accents and I thought of doing a rap about accents - how the lads all come together and create this amazing thing called Liverpool Football Club, a team who were unbeatable. The whole thing was funny."

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Impressed by his single 'Bad Young Brother', Johnston sought the help of upcoming British rapper Derek B in writing and mixing the record - which was founded on the idea of there being a wide range of incomprehensible accents within the Liverpool dressing room.

The song borrowed broadly from hip-hop's legacy and incorporated a refrain famous both on Merseyside and throughout the world - The Beatles' 'Twist and Shout'.

"But the other lads don't talk like we do
No they don't talk like we do, do they do la
We'll have to learn 'em to talk propa"

As the only resident Scousers around Anfield at that time, it fell to local lads John Aldridge and Steve McMahon to teach their teammates the unique Merseyside vernacular.

"That was great fun," the former reflected recently. "I know the words off by heart because it's sung to me wherever I go.

"People sing it and the fans still love it. Craig Johnston's idea, I thought it was a great song, just for the craic at the time. It was brilliant the way he came out with all the lyrics for everyone."

Aldridge did reveal, however, that the squad required a boost from an outside source to complete the song, which eventually reached a high of No.3 in the UK's music charts.

"The true story about that was that we went down to the studios down Aigburth way. We tried to do all the singing and we were absolutely useless," he added.

"Derek B was the one doing it for us, a top rapper at the time, and he had to stop us after half an hour and say: 'Go down to the local pub and stay there for two or three hours.'

"We had a good few hours in there and a good few pints and it loosened us up. That's when we recorded it."

"Our lads have come from all over the place
They talk dead funny, but they play dead great
Well now we've gotta learn 'em talk real cool
The song you've gotta learn if you live in the Pool"

It's an anecdote backed up by the recollection of winger John Barnes, who took a central role in the single and accompanying video with his own special rapping techniques.

"It was fantastic and I think that's the best football song, better than any I've heard - because it was tongue-in-cheek and a laugh," said Barnes.

"Back in those days you could afford to go out and have one or two drinks; everyone was drunk and dressed up as rappers. It was a laugh, that's what it was supposed to be. In my opinion, that was the best football song."