On This Day, 12 October: Salah’s six-minute hat-trick and a day for King Kenny

Four years ago today, Mohamed Salah came off the bench at Ibrox and scored the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history, three goals in six minutes and 12 seconds.

But 12 October also belongs to Kenny Dalglish, with a header at Anfield that sent Scotland to the World Cup, the day Joe Fagan dropped him and the start of his Blackburn adventure.

Salah’s six-minute treble at Ibrox

Liverpool arrived in Glasgow mid-table after their worst start to a league season in a decade, and for the first half they were poor. Scott Arfield gave Rangers the lead, and Roberto Firmino’s header from a corner levelled things before the break.

After the interval it was a different story. Firmino scored again and Darwin Núñez made it 3-1. Salah, who had started on the bench, replaced Núñez in the 68th minute and scored his first in the 75th. By the time his third went in, six minutes and 12 seconds had passed, a new Champions League record. Harvey Elliott added a seventh as Liverpool ran out 7-1 winners, and the mood around the club was transformed overnight.

Scotland’s night at Anfield

On 12 October 1977, Anfield staged one of the great nights in Scottish football history, even though Wales were officially the home side. Needing a win to reach the 1978 World Cup, they faced Scotland in Liverpool. Scotland captain Don Masson scored from a controversial penalty, awarded when Joe Jordan was judged to have handled the ball, and Dalglish headed in Martin Buchan’s cross three minutes from time to make it 2-0 and send Scotland to Argentina.

It was Dalglish’s 50th cap for Scotland, won only two months after he joined Liverpool from Celtic. There were two Liverpool men on the other side, as John Toshack and Joey Jones both played for Wales.

Fagan drops Dalglish

Seven years later, on Friday 12 October 1984, Joe Fagan left Dalglish out of the side for the trip to Tottenham. Garth Crooks scored the only goal of the game, and Fagan later admitted that dropping Dalglish had been a mistake.

Kenny heads to Ewood Park

On 12 October 1991, Dalglish was named manager of Blackburn Rovers by the club’s owner, Jack Walker. Less than four years later, Blackburn were champions of England, ending an 81-year wait for a league title. They clinched it on the final day of the 1994-95 season, even though they lost 2-1 at Anfield, because Manchester United could only draw at West Ham.

Three against United

Liverpool have faced Manchester United three times on this date. In 1895, when United were still known as Newton Heath, Liverpool won 7-1 at Anfield in the Second Division. Frank Becton, Harry Bradshaw and Fred Geary each scored twice, Jimmy Ross added the other, and Liverpool went on to win the Second Division title that season.

In 1968, United arrived at Anfield as European champions, with Bobby Charlton in their side, and left beaten 2-0 in front of 53,392. Ian St John scored in the first half and Alun Evans added a second late on for Bill Shankly’s side.

The 1996 meeting went the other way. David Beckham scored the only goal at Old Trafford, in the 23rd minute.

Remembering Rab Howell and Besian Idrizaj

Rab Howell was born on this day in 1867. The midfielder joined Liverpool from Sheffield United in April 1898 and made 59 league appearances for the club. He was the first Romani to play for England, scoring on his debut in a 9-0 win over Ireland in 1895 and winning his second cap in 1899 while a Liverpool player.

Besian Idrizaj would have turned 39 today. Born in Baden bei Wien in Austria in 1987, the striker joined Liverpool from LASK Linz in 2005 but did not make a competitive first-team appearance. He later played for Swansea City and died in May 2010, aged just 22.

Also on this day

• 1901: Liverpool 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday at Anfield, with Tommy Robertson scoring.
• 1907: Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland. Harold Fitzpatrick scored the only goal on his debut.
• 1935: Liverpool 1-2 Birmingham City, with Berry Nieuwenhuys on target.
• 1946: Liverpool 1-1 Charlton Athletic, with Cyril Done scoring.
• 1957: Liverpool 4-0 Swansea Town in the Second Division. Tony Rowley scored twice, with Don Campbell and Jimmy Melia also on target.
• 1974: Liverpool 2-0 Middlesbrough, with Ian Callaghan scoring and Kevin Keegan adding a penalty.
• 1985: Liverpool 1-0 Southampton at Anfield, with Steve McMahon scoring the only goal.
• 1988: Walsall 1-3 Liverpool in the League Cup second round, second leg. John Barnes, Ian Rush and Jan Mølby (penalty) scored.