Past playersSteve McMahon

Bob Paisley perhaps encapsulated the combative midfielder's dynamism in a red shirt best when he said: "When Steve McMahon plays well, I always think that Liverpool will play well."

McMahon began his playing days with boyhood club Everton, for whom he had been a ball-boy in his early years.

Liverpool's interest was alerted as he rose through the ranks to wear the armband at Goodison Park, making 100 league appearances and scoring 11 goals along the way.

Out of respect to the Blues, McMahon rejected an immediate switch to Liverpool, instead opting to join Aston Villa for £175,000 in May 1983. Two seasons at Villa Park brought scant reward and with his team finishing 10th in both campaigns, he decided he had waited long enough for success.

McMahon came to Anfield a month into Liverpool's double-winning season of 1985-86, with Dalglish paying £350,000 for his services. His first goal was both quick and ironic, hitting the back of the net in a 3-2 Goodison Park derby victory just two weeks after signing for the Reds.

In his first season, he competed with Kevin MacDonald to fill the central midfield void created by the departure of Graeme Souness.

While he only played 23 games that campaign - and was benched for the all-Merseyside cup final - he was to cement his first-team place the following year and claim the No.11 shirt as his own.

McMahon scored four goals in Liverpool's 10-0 rout against Fulham in the 1986-87 League Cup run but could not help his side overcome Arsenal in the final. This defeat seemingly inspired the team to greater things as the Reds romped to a 17th league title the following season.

McMahon's tough tackling and impressive passing range offered the perfect foil for Liverpool's new-look attacking trio of John Aldridge, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley. Not to be outdone, he weighed in with his fair share of spectacular moments, including a scorching 30-yard goal against Manchester United.

In 1989, he helped Liverpool collect an FA Cup at the expense of Everton, setting up Aldridge for the opening goal of the 3-2 win after just four minutes.

Another league title followed in 1990 and McMahon finally got the international recognition he had long deserved, taking his place in Bobby Robson's England squad for the World Cup in Italy.

An injury-plagued 1990-91 season was the beginning of the end for his time at Liverpool, though. After playing 15 games under Souness in the following campaign, he was sold to Manchester City on Christmas Eve 1991.