Kenny Dalglish

Kenneth "Kenny" Mathieson Dalglish MBE (born March 4, 1951, Dalmarnock, Glasgow, Scotland) is a former Scottish international football player. He was famous for his successes with Celtic in the 1970s and with the English club Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. He is widely-regarded as the greatest British player of his generation. A prolific goalscorer, he was the first to score 100 league goals in both the English and Scottish leagues.

Playing career

Dalglish grew up supporting Rangers. Though born in Dalmarnock in the East End of Glasgow, he was brought up in the docklands of Govan, just a stone's throw from Ibrox.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He wanted to join his idols at Rangers, but the call never came. He had trials at Liverpool and West Ham, but they came to nothing. And so it was that Dalglish, the Protestant son of an engineer, found himself playing for the Catholic Glasgow Celtic.

Related Topics:
Liverpool - West Ham

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His signing, on a provisional contract in July 1967, was not without amusement. Jock Stein, the legendary Celtic manager, had sent his assistant Sean Fallon to see Dalglish and his parents at their home. Dalglish was farmed out to a Celtic nursery side, Cumbernauld United, and he also worked as an apprentice joiner. By the following year he had turned professional and was a regular member of a Celtic reserve team so good it was known as the Quality Street Gang.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It took Dalglish three years to establish himself in the first team. At that time Celtic were not only the best team in Scotland, they had become the first British team to win the European Cup after beating Inter Milan. Stein took a great interest in Dalglish, recognising his potentially outstanding talent. Eventually he gave him his chance in a benefit match. The result was Celtic 7 Kilmarnock 2. Dalglish scored six of the Celtic goals.

Related Topics:
European Cup - Inter Milan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By 1972-73 Dalglish was Celtic's leading marksman with a seasonal tally of 41 goals in all competitions. And that Dalglish trademark of shielding the ball with his back to the goal had emerged. Dalglish was made Celtic captain in 1975-76, but it was a miserable year. Stein was badly hurt in a car crash and missed most of the season. Celtic failed to win a trophy for the first time in 12 years.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next season Stein was back and Celtic did the Scottish Cup and League double. Dalglish, however, had made up his mind to leave. Celtic had won the European Cup before he had arrived at the club and Dalglish wanted the chance not just to savour European football, but to be where there was a real chance of success.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He had been a full Scotland international for six years, making his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 victory over Belgium in November 1971. He went to the {{Wc|1974}} in West Germany, but did not play well. Scotland were eliminated at the group stage, even though they were undefeated. That spring of 1977 he had scored in Scotland's 2-1 victory over England at Wembley.

Related Topics:
Belgium - England - Wembley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dalglish had enjoyed an enviable run at Celtic. Four Scottish Championships, four Scottish Cup-winners' medals and a tally of 167 goals. But it wasn't enough for him. He was ambitious and needed a new challenge.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He moved to Liverpool in 1977, for a then-record £440,000 transfer fee, to replace Kevin Keegan, who left to play for Hamburg in Germany. In his first season, Dalglish scored the winning goal in the European Cup final, against the Belgian side Club Brugge. He went on to become arguably the most influential member of the most successful club team in English football history, winning further League Championships and European Cups in a period stretching to the mid-1980s.

Related Topics:
1977 - Kevin Keegan - Hamburg - European Cup - Club Brugge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~