Roger Hunt

Roger Hunt signed for Liverpool after attracting scout Bill Jones' attention playing for Stockton Heath (changed name to Warrington Town in 1961) in the Mid-Cheshire League. Hunt had only played six reserve matches in which he scored eight goals before making his Reds' debut against Scunthorpe at Anfield in the absence of Billy Liddell on 9 September 1959. He played like a seasoned pro and fondly remembers this occasion as he told LFC.tv in February 2009: "The game was a lot quicker than what I was used to. We were one-nil up when we got a free-kick around the hour mark. Jimmy Melia spotted me and played a short pass into my stride. I looked up and hit it instinctively. I knew it was in as soon as I struck it and I can't describe how good it felt to see it smash in off the crossbar." Hunt was praised by the media and the News Chronicle and Daily Dispatch said: "They do find 'em at Golborne: Peter Kane, world fly-weight champion, Bert Llewellyn, goal-scoring Crewe player... and now Roger Hunt, 21, who had a dream debut for Liverpool. Hunt, stand-in for Billy Liddell, may not be an orthodox centre-forward, but by lying deep he emphasised his footballing ability, creative artistry and control." Hunt immediately showed all his greatest strengths. He was quick, strong, skilful and possessed a rocket of a shot. More importantly, he never gave up and worked his socks off for the team. "I knew perfectly well that I wasn't an out-and-out natural, the sort who can make a ball talk so it was down to me to compensate for it in other ways," Hunt said. "I made up my mind that if I didn't succeed at Anfield it wouldn't be for the lack of determination. From the first day, I threw myself into training, ran and tackled for everything and practised my ball skills at every opportunity."

Hunt joined a club that had been agonisingly close to gaining promotion to the top division again, twice finishing third and twice fourth in the previous four seasons. There would be disappointment again in 1959/60 with another third place in Shankly's first season as manager. Hunt's partnership with former Everton star Dave Hickson worked well but when Hickson departed and Ian St John arrived in the 1961/62 promotion season Hunt started to fire on all cylinders. He scored no less than 41 goals in 41 league matches, including five hat-tricks. Hunt made his England debut that spring and went to the World Cup in 1962, but did not play a single match. The next few years were golden ones for Liverpool and for Hunt. He scored 129 times in 160 games during the next four seasons, a period in which the club twice won the League Championship and had good cup runs at home and in Europe. His greatest personal achievement at club level was certainly the FA Cup Final of 1965 against Leeds, a competition Liverpool had never won before. Hunt's stooping header broke the deadlock early in extra-time before St John scored the winner. The World Cup was held on English soil in 1966 and Hunt played in all six games, scoring three goals as England lifted the game's biggest prize. Often criticised by the Southern press that preferred the more flamboyant Jimmy Greaves, Hunt's international record speaks for itself - he was on the losing side only twice in 34 internationals. Bobby Moore knew all about his qualities: "Roger Hunt is a player's player. He is possibly appreciated more by those who play with him and against him than by those who watch him."

Hunt was Liverpool's top goalscorer eight years in a row from 1962-1969 and on 11 November 1967, he broke Gordon Hodgson's goalscoring record at the club by netting his 242nd goal against Manchester United. Despite his scoring prowess he could not please all people as Tommy Smith remembers: "We used to call him 'Over-the-bar Hunt'. Everyone used to get mail, praising you, calling you names or simply asking for an autograph. Roger used to get a letter on a regular basis from a lad, who clearly didn't like him. It always used to start. 'Dear Over-the-bar-Hunt. I see you missed another couple of sitters on Saturday.'" In March 1969 the normally mild-mannered Hunt caused a sensation when he was substituted in a cup replay at Anfield against Leicester by taking his shirt off and angrily throwing it in the direction of the dug-out. Although he started 1969/70 still as first choice, he lost his place to Phil Boersma in the autumn. There would be one final day to remember in front of the supporters who had always given him such great encouragement. With time running out and a 1-1 scoreline against Southampton, Shankly brought on Hunt to replace Alec Lindsay and he responded by scoring twice in two minutes! Those were his last League goals for Liverpool and seven weeks later he signed for Bolton Wanderers. Ian Rush broke Hunt's overall scoring record for Liverpool on 18 October 1992 but Hunt's League tally of 244 goals is still a club record. Hunt was awarded an MBE in 2000. Whether he will be knighted one day remains to be seen but he has anyway been called "Sir Roger" by the Kop for a quarter of a century.