NewsLiverpool's Greatest - No.82: Matt Busby
Years: 1936-1939
Appearances: 122
Goals: 3
Matt Busby was a key figure in Liverpool FC history before so famously becoming an icon for Manchester United.
Converted from an attacker to a half-back early in his career, Busby drew plaudits for his technical ability and use of possession on the way to being regarded among the best in the position in the country.
He had caught the eye of those in charge of the Reds, too, and a transfer deal worth £8k was successfully agreed to bring him to Anfield from Manchester City in the spring of 1936.
A considerable sum for the time, it was, but a reflection of how important the club felt Busby could be to its long-term future.
“He is the richest and most practised passer the game has ever known,” the Liverpool Echo said of the Scot later that year. “Hence he appears in a blinding light when compared with some other half-backs.”
Busby was a regular in the Liverpool side for the next three years, but the advent of the Second World War prematurely ended his professional playing career at the age of just 30.
When hostilities stopped in 1945, it appeared he would remain with the Reds as an assistant manager, but a sliding-doors moment in football history saw him instead appointed as United boss.
His remarkable achievements there would, of course, surpass his spell at Anfield, though we must also thank him for recommending the club to sign a certain Billy Liddell.
And Busby’s impact was such that when a similar poll to this was conducted by the Kop newspaper in 1966, he was not only included in Liverpool’s best XI by readers but selected as the captain.
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