Roger Hunt

Lore & Background

Born in Glazebury, Lancashire, Hunt played for Croft Youth Club, Stockton Heath and Devizes Town during his formative years. He was signed for Liverpool by manager Phil Taylor in July 1958, joining from Stockton Heath. Hunt made his debut and scored his first goal for the club on 9 September 1959 in a Second Division fixture at Anfield against Scunthorpe United. Under Bill Shankly, Hunt won two league titles and an FA Cup. He scored the first ever goal seen on the BBC's Match of the Day in August 1964. He was capped 34 times for England, scoring 18 international goals, and played in all six games of the 1966 World Cup, scoring three times. He left Liverpool in 1969 to join Bolton Wanderers, and later played on loan for Hellenic F.C. in South Africa. He retired in 1972.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at Wembley hummed with a low, electric buzz. It was the twelfth minute, and the weight of a nation pressed down on the shoulders of a wiry forward in white. Hunt had made his run — not the long, thundering sprint of a centre-half, but that short, sharp burst that left the West German defender a half-step behind. The ball arrived at his feet just inside the box. One touch to control, one to set. The strike was not powerful; it was precise, tucked just inside the post before the keeper could even shift his weight. The roar that followed was not a sound so much as a physical force, a wall of noise that seemed to rattle the stanchions. Hunt did not celebrate extravagantly. He turned, jogged back toward the centre circle, and was already scanning for the next ball. Around him, teammates were still catching their breath, still processing what the scoreboard now read. But Hunt's eyes were forward, already working, already hunting the next chance. That was the thing about Ponsonby: the goal was never the end. It was simply the next step in the run.

Reader's Guide

Hunt was an England international with 34 caps and 18 goals. He was part of the England squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup but was not selected to play. In 1966, he was selected by manager Alf Ramsey for the 22-man squad, played in all six games, and scored three times (twice against France, once against Mexico) as England won the World Cup. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Did You Know?

• Hunt is Liverpool's record league goalscorer with 244 goals, having surpassed Gordon Hodgson in 1969.
• He was top scorer for Liverpool for eight seasons in a row.
• Hunt scored the first ever goal seen on the BBC's Match of the Day on 22 August 1964.
• He was awarded an MBE in 2000 for his World Cup victory.
• Hunt was voted at number 13 in the 100 Players Who Shook the Kop poll in 2006.