Kenny Dalglish

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Dalglish began his career with Celtic in 1971, going on to win four Scottish league championships, four Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup with the club. In 1977, Liverpool manager Bob Paisley paid a British transfer record of £440,000 to take Dalglish to Liverpool. His years at Liverpool were among the club's most successful periods, as he won six English league championships, the FA Cup, four League Cups, five FA Charity Shields, three European Cups and one European Super Cup. At Liverpool he formed a formidable strike partnership with Ian Rush. In international football, Dalglish made 102 appearances and scored 30 goals for Scotland between 1971 and 1986, becoming their most capped player and joint-leading goal scorer (with Denis Law). He was selected for Scotland's FIFA World Cup squads in 1974, 1978, and 1982, playing in all three tournaments, but retired from international football in 1985 and did not feature in the 1986 squad. Dalglish became player-manager of Liverpool in 1985 after the resignation of Joe Fagan, winning a further three First Divisions, two FA Cups and three FA Charity Shields, before resigning in 1991. Eight months later, Dalglish made a return to football management with Blackburn Rovers, whom he led from the Second Division to win the Premier League in 1995. Soon afterwards, he stepped down as manager to become director of football at the club, before leaving altogether in 1996. In January 1997, Dalglish took over as manager at Newcastle United. Newcastle finished as runners-up in the Premier League during his first season, but they only finished 13th in 1997–98, which led to his dismissal the following season. Dalglish went on to be appointed director of football at Celtic in 1999, and later briefly manager. He won the Scottish League Cup in 2000 before his departure from the club that year. Between 2000 and 2010, Dalglish focused on charitable concerns, founding The Marina Dalglish Appeal with his wife to raise money for cancer care. In January 2011, Dalglish returned to Liverpool for a spell as caretaker manager after the dismissal of Roy Hodgson, becoming the permanent manager in May 2011. Despite winning the League Cup, which was the club's first trophy since 2006, earning them a place in the UEFA Europa League, and reaching the FA Cup Final, Liverpool only finished 8th in the Premier League, and Dalglish was dismissed

In Their Own Story

Dalglish's career is marked by historic achievements both in front of goals and from the touchline. In 1985, following Joe Fagan's resignation, he became Liverpool's player-manager, a role that saw him win three First Divisions, two FA Cups, and four FA Charity Shields before resigning in 1991. His managerial success continued at Blackburn Rovers, whom he led from the Second Division to win the Premier League title in 1995. Later, he managed Newcastle United (finishing runners-up in his first season) and served as director of football at Celtic, winning the Scottish League Cup in 2000. After a hiatus for charitable work with The Marina Dalglish Appeal, he returned to Liverpool as caretaker manager in January 2011 following Roy Hodgson's dismissal. He became permanent manager in May 2011, securing the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup Final, though the team finished 8th in the Premier League, leading to his departure in May 2012.

Reader's Guide

Dalglish is highly regarded by Liverpool fans, who still affectionately refer to him as 'King Kenny', and in 2006 voted him top of the fans' poll '100 Players Who Shook the Kop'. He won the Ballon d'Or Silver Award in 1983, the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1983, and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2009, FourFourTwo magazine named Dalglish the greatest striker in post-war British football, and he has been inducted into both the Scottish and English Football Halls of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Dalglish made his first-team competitive debut for Celtic in a Scottish League Cup quarter-final tie against Hamilton Academical on 25 September 1968.
• He scored his first competitive goal for Celtic on 14 August 1971, a penalty in a 2–0 win over Rangers at Ibrox.
• Dalglish was signed by Liverpool for a British transfer record of £440,000 in 1977.
• He scored 31 goals in his first season with Liverpool, making him the club's leading scorer that season.