On This Day, 10 October: Rush gets off the mark and Keegan strikes at the death

With Liverpool going into Sunday’s visit of Manchester City short of strikers, 10 October offers a timely reminder of how one of the greatest of them all got started.

It was on this day in 1981 that a young Ian Rush scored his first league goals for the club.

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are both ruled out of the City game after picking up injuries on international duty, and Hugo Ekitike is out long term, so Andoni Iraola is short of a natural centre-forward. Forty-five years ago, Bob Paisley was still waiting to see what his young Welsh striker from Chester could do in the league.

Rush off the mark against Leeds

Rush’s first goal for the club had come only ten days earlier, in the European Cup against Oulu of Finland. On 10 October 1981, in front of 35,840 at Anfield, he finally opened his league account.

Leeds were beaten 3-0. Rush gave Liverpool the lead in the first half, Trevor Cherry turned the ball into his own net to double it, and Rush added a third late on to make it a day to remember.

What followed is part of Liverpool folklore. Rush finished that season with 30 goals in all competitions, including one in the League Cup final against Spurs, as Paisley’s side won the title. He went on to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer. Whoever leads the line on Sunday, it is worth remembering that every great goalscoring career starts with a first one.

Keegan wins it in the 120th minute

On a Tuesday night in 1972, Bill Shankly’s side needed every last second to get past West Bromwich Albion in a League Cup third-round replay at Anfield, after the first game had finished 1-1.

The Baggies went in front early in the second half through Ally Robertson, and it took until the 62nd minute for Emlyn Hughes to bring the scores level. With no further goals in normal time, the tie went to extra time and looked to be heading for a second replay until Kevin Keegan struck in the 120th minute to send the 26,461 crowd home happy.

That Liverpool side was just starting to take shape. Among the names on the teamsheet that night was a summer signing from Nottingham Forest called Peter Cormack.

Five in 20 minutes as Villa are blown away

Go back to 10 October 1953 and you will find one of the stranger scorelines in the club’s history. Aston Villa came to Anfield and took the lead through Dave Walsh, before Billy Liddell levelled to make it 1-1 at half-time.

For the next 20-odd minutes it stayed that way. Then the floodgates opened. Sammy Smyth put Liverpool ahead, Bob Paisley and Jimmy Payne added to it, Smyth scored again, and Villa’s misery was completed by an own goal from Danny Blanchflower, later the captain of Spurs’ Double-winning side. Five goals in roughly the last 20 minutes gave the 37,759 crowd a 6-1 win to savour, and a rare highlight in a season that would end in relegation.

Remembering Peter Cormack

This day also marks two years since the passing of Peter Cormack, who died on 10 October 2024 at the age of 78.

Signed by Shankly from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 1972, the skilful Scot made an immediate impact, winning the league title and the UEFA Cup in his first season. He added the FA Cup in 1974, when Newcastle were swept aside at Wembley, and went on to make 178 appearances and score 26 goals for the club before a knee problem cut his Anfield career short. He joined Bristol City in 1976.

A former Hibernian favourite who won nine caps for Scotland, Cormack was a key figure in the side that bridged the end of the Shankly era and the start of Paisley’s. He is fondly remembered by everyone who saw him play.

Happy birthday, Shaq

Xherdan Shaqiri turns 35 today. Born in Gjilan in 1991, the Swiss international joined from Stoke City in the summer of 2018 and scored eight goals in 63 appearances.

He packed plenty into three years. There was the match-winning double off the bench against Manchester United at Anfield, the cross for Georginio Wijnaldum’s header in the 4-0 win over Barcelona, and winner’s medals in the Champions League, the Club World Cup and the Premier League.

Elsewhere in football

On this day in 2017, Lionel Messi produced one of his finest international performances. Argentina were in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time since 1970 and fell behind inside the first minute in Quito, but Messi scored a hat-trick to win the game 3-1 and send them to Russia.

A year earlier, former Liverpool striker Christian Benteke scored after just 8.1 seconds for Belgium against Gibraltar, the fastest goal in World Cup qualifying history.

Also on this day

• 1896: Liverpool 3-0 Nottingham Forest at Anfield, with goals from Michael, McVean and Bradshaw.
• 1903: Liverpool 2-2 Everton at Anfield, with Dickie Morris scoring both Liverpool goals in the derby.
• 1908: Leicester Fosse 3-2 Liverpool. Ronald Orr scored both for the Reds.
• 1914: Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool. Fred Pagnam scored on his debut.
• 1925: Liverpool 1-1 Leeds United, with Baron on target.
• 1931: Liverpool 2-2 West Ham United (Gunson, Wright).
• 1936: Middlesbrough 3-3 Liverpool. Howe, Nieuwenhuys and Taylor all scored in the space of three minutes just after half-time.
• 1959: Liverpool 2-2 Brighton in the Second Division. A’Court and Melia scored, and Melia also had a penalty saved.
• 1964: Birmingham City 0-0 Liverpool.
• 1970: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Liverpool, with Martin Peters scoring the only goal.