Players - Ronnie Whelan

Ronnie Whelan
Birthdate: 25 September 1961
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Other clubs: Home Farm (1976-79), Southend United (1994-95)
Signed from: Home Farm
Signed for LFC: 21.09.1979
International debut: 29.04.1981 vs. Czechoslovakia
International caps: 53/3 (51/3 at LFC) - 11.06.1995
Liverpool debut: 03.04.1981
Last appearance: 07.05.1994
Debut goal: 03.04.1981
Last goal: 22.08.1993
Contract expiry: 01.06.1994
Win ratio: 58.42% W:288 D:113 L:92
Games/goals ratio: 6.75
Games/assists ratio: 12.02
Honours: League Championship 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90; FA Cup 1986, 1989; League Cup 1982, 1983, 1984; European Cup 1984
League games / goals / assists: 362 / 46 / 30
Total games / goals / assists: 493 / 73 / 41

Player Profile

Whelan's background always made it likely that he would be successful in the sport as it had become something of a tradition in the family. His father was an Irish international and his younger brother Paul also played in the League of Ireland for many years. Dublin-born Ronnie impressed as a youth with Home Farm in the city of his birth, Dublin. A number of English clubs showed interest including Manchester United where he was a trainee but it was Liverpool who made a definite move shortly before the youngster's eighteenth birthday and signed him on 19 September 1979 for £35,000. Like many young players brought to the club by Paisley Whelan had to be patient for his chance to show that he was worth a place in the team. That chance eventually came two days after Liverpool had won the League Cup for the first time on April Fools' Day 1981. Whelan replacing Ray Kennedy was the only change from the cup-winning team, that had defeated West Ham in the Villa Park replay, when Stoke City were the visitors to Anfield. Whelan slotted easily into the side and even surged forward just before the half-hour mark to calmly slip a shot past Stoke 'keeper Peter Fox. 

Whelan did not play for Liverpool's first team again that season but when Ray Kennedy was sold to Swansea in January 1982 he saw off challenger Kevin Sheedy and it was soon clear that Whelan would be a very capable successor, not just with his positional sense and reading of the game but also with his contribution in terms of the goals he could score and make. After sitting uncomfortably halfway down the table at New Year, an astonishing run of 11 successive first division victories between 9 March and 1 May 1982 helped propel the team to a most unlikely championship success. Whelan played in all eleven of those wins, scoring four times, and he also scored the goal that effectively wrapped up the title in the final home game against Tottenham, who had already suffered the "Whelan factor" when he scored twice against them in the League Cup final at Wembley in March. Many expected Whelan to become one of the game's greats with the fantastic start he made to his career. He may have developed into a less spectacular player than expected but he was still a damn good one. 

And when those special matches come round and there are medals to be won and the pundits are asking whether the match winner will be Rushy or Kenny or Brucie, then I look past them all towards Ronnie Whelan and think to myself: 'There's our man for the big occasion." - Bob Paisley

During the next eight seasons that ended in a different decade, Whelan played for Liverpool's first team nearly 400 times and scored 54 goals. He really matured as a footballer during this period and continued to regularly add medals and Irish caps to his collection. His intelligent play profited those around him, by controlling the tempo of the game and he was capable of the extraordinary when the team needed it the most. Who can forget his curler against Manchester United in the Wembley League Cup final in 1983 and the belter against United as well in the FA Cup semi-final at Goodison Park in 1985? Whelan had clearly an eye for the spectacular when playing Manchester United as his chipped backpass from 30 yards sailed over Bruce Grobbelaar and into his own net on 18 March 1990. To date, it is considered by many one of the most bizarre own goals in top-flight history. Whelan moved into a more central midfield role after John Barnes arrived in 1987 and prospered alongside him with greater responsibility and this increased when he was made captain in 1988/89. Whelan's proudest moment came when he went up the Wembley steps to receive the FA Cup after Liverpool's thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over Everton in May 1989. "A lot of people said I would be on my way when John Barnes came but Kenny moved me back into the centre," Whelan noted. "That was my best years. I loved playing in the centre. I loved being involved all the time, although I didn't score as many goals because I was more defensive and Macca did the runs forward. I knew I was there to win the ball back and give it to the likes of Beardsley and Barnes. I didn't try to do anything spectacular. I couldn't dribble. I was a good passer of the ball. I could read the game well. I could break up attacks and start them off very quickly. The managers and the players appreciated the job more than some of the supporters."

The 29-year-old Whelan was out with a fractured shin when Graeme Souness succeeded Kenny Dalglish as manager and was sidelined for seven months with a knee injury in the 1991/92 season. The Dubliner scored a dramatic late equaliser at Highbury to earn a replay with Portsmouth at the semi-final stage of the FA Cup in April 1992. Although he played in the Villa Park replay, which Liverpool won on penalties, Whelan missed the final against Sunderland because of injury, again. It was by now the same old story in the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons. Whelan was a regular from the start of the season until he got injured come September/October and didn't return until February/March. Souness had an uneasy tenure as a manager which finally came to an end and Roy Evans' reign began. "The injuries didn't help me. Every time I got fit I'd get another injury. It was just non-stop for four years," Whelan said. "When I was fit I didn't play too many games. I was a bit disappointed with Souey when he took the club captaincy off me and gave it to Mark Wright. I'd worn the number five shirt for so many years and when the names and squad numbers were introduced I got number 12. It doesn't make you think you're wanted that much in the team. All in all it wasn't great for me the last few years." If Whelan's final four seasons at Anfield were not successful in terms of injuries received, games played and medals gained, nobody can be in any doubt that between 1981 and 1990 Ronnie Whelan was a hugely influential part of a very successful squad of players, success that brought him no fewer than six League Championship medals as well as winners' medals in six major cup competitions. two in the FA Cup, three in the League Cup and one on the European stage when Liverpool went into the Lions' Den in Rome in 1984 to take the giant trophy away from the Roman hordes who mistakenly believed they only had to turn up to witness victory.

Shortly into the 1994/95 season Whelan moved to Southend United to become their player-manager following his contract expiry with Liverpool in the summer. After his retirement as a player in 1996, he coached Panionios in Greece and Apollon Limassol and Olympiakos Nicosia in Cyprus. His finest achievement in management was taking Panionios to the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup, at which stage they were soundly beaten by Lazio 7-0 on aggregate.

"I was playing ever since I was 15 at Home Farm in Ireland but every school holiday I was playing for Manchester United as a trainee. Manchester United offered me an apprenticeship but I wanted to finish school and the year I finished school I went to Celtic in Scotland for a trial where I was going to be signed up. I wanted to play in England despite even Dundalk wanting to sign me up also. I went to Liverpool in the summer for a two-week trial and by June-July they decided they wanted to keep me. I was pretty nervous about going there but my dad told me I might as well start at the top!"
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 362 41 50 24 16 493
1980-1981 1 0 0 0 0 1
1981-1982 32 3 8 4 0 47
1982-1983 28 1 6 5 1 41
1983-1984 23 1 5 5 0 34
1984-1985 37 7 3 10 2 59
1985-1986 39 7 7 0 4 57
1986-1987 39 3 8 0 3 53
1987-1988 28 2 3 0 0 33
1988-1989 37 5 6 0 3 51
1989-1990 34 8 3 0 1 46
1990-1991 14 1 1 0 1 17
1991-1992 10 3 0 0 0 13
1992-1993 17 0 0 0 1 18
1993-1994 23 0 0 0 0 23
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
31 2746 Everton
25 2207 Arsenal
23 2060 Manchester United
23 2024 Southampton
21 1805 Coventry City
20 1755 Tottenham
19 1627 Luton Town
18 1594 Norwich City
18 1533 Nottingham Forest
16 1291 Ipswich Town
15 1350 QPR
15 1339 Aston Villa
15 1258 West Ham United
13 1156 Manchester City
13 1079 Sheffield Wednesday
12 1110 Watford
12 1080 Chelsea
11 990 Wimbledon
10 900 Stoke City
9 801 Newcastle United
8 720 Sunderland
8 720 Leicester City
8 711 WBA
8 652 Birmingham City
7 630 Charlton Athletic
7 606 Brighton & Hove Albion
6 540 Swansea City
6 540 Leeds United
6 492 Sheffield United
6 470 Oxford United
5 450 Derby
5 450 Blackburn Rovers
5 440 Millwall
4 390 Crystal Palace
4 360 Benfica
4 360 Notts County
4 360 Oldham Athletic
4 360 Walsall
3 300 York City
3 280 Portsmouth
3 270 Middlesbrough
3 270 Barnsley
2 210 Stockport County
2 180 Juventus
2 180 CSKA Sofia
2 180 Exeter City
2 180 Din. Bucharest
2 180 Dundalk
2 180 Austria Vienna
2 180 Panathinaikos
2 180 Wigan Athletic
2 180 Lech Poznan
2 127 Widzew Lodz
2 119 Fulham
2 104 Wolves
2 102 AZ Alkmaar
2 52 Burnley
1 120 Roma
1 90 HJK Helsinki
1 90 Crewe
1 90 Carlisle United
1 90 Brentford
1 90 Swindon Town
1 14 Independiente
Total Started/substitutions
475 Started
25 On the bench
18 Substitute
21 Substituted
Total Venue
235 Home
232 Away
26 Neutral
Total Competition
322 League
50 League Cup
41 FA Cup
40 Premier League
23 European Cup
7 Charity Shield
6 Screen Sport Super Cup
2 Centenary Trophy
1 European Super Cup
1 World Club Championship
Total W D L Win % Manager
257 159 63 35 61.9% Kenny Dalglish
93 49 24 20 52.7% Joe Fagan
89 58 16 15 65.2% Bob Paisley
39 18 8 13 46.2% Graeme Souness
15 4 2 9 26.7% Roy Evans
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 46 7 14 6 0 73
1980-1981 1 0 0 0 0 1
1981-1982 10 0 3 1 0 14
1982-1983 2 0 2 3 0 7
1983-1984 4 0 3 2 0 9
1984-1985 7 4 1 0 0 12
1985-1986 10 1 3 0 0 14
1986-1987 3 0 2 0 0 5
1987-1988 1 0 0 0 0 1
1988-1989 4 0 0 0 0 4
1989-1990 1 1 0 0 0 2
1990-1991 1 0 0 0 0 1
1991-1992 0 1 0 0 0 1
1992-1993 1 0 0 0 0 1
1993-1994 1 0 0 0 0 1
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 30 2 4 4 1 41
1980-1981 0 0 0 0 0 0
1981-1982 5 0 0 0 0 5
1982-1983 2 0 0 0 0 2
1983-1984 2 0 0 0 0 2
1984-1985 2 1 0 4 0 7
1985-1986 7 1 1 0 1 10
1986-1987 1 0 1 0 0 2
1987-1988 2 0 0 0 0 2
1988-1989 2 0 1 0 0 3
1989-1990 4 0 0 0 0 4
1990-1991 0 0 1 0 0 1
1991-1992 0 0 0 0 0 0
1992-1993 2 0 0 0 0 2
1993-1994 1 0 0 0 0 1
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 03.04.1981 Stoke City Anfield League
50 28.08.1982 WBA Anfield League
100 11.02.1984 Arsenal Anfield League
150 01.01.1985 Watford Vicarage Road League
200 29.10.1985 Brighton & Hove Albion Anfield League Cup
250 27.09.1986 Aston Villa Anfield League
300 29.09.1987 Derby Anfield League
350 11.12.1988 Everton Anfield League
400 26.12.1989 Sheffield Wednesday Anfield League
450 11.04.1992 Aston Villa Villa Park League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 27 03.04.1981 Stoke City Anfield League
50 78 04.01.1986 Norwich City Anfield FA Cup
Related Articles
‘They don’t give a f**k about you. After 15 years that was it. I was crying all the way home’

Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan speaks to The42 about his time in one of the most successful periods of the club’s history. Dec 28th 2017.

The Irish Kop

The Irish Kop is a tribute from the heart of Anfield to those amazing fans who go to incredible lengths to follow Liverpool FC.

Pompey so close

Match report from British Soccer Week on Liverpool - Portsmouth on 05.04.1992.

Kop injury puts Beardsley out for six weeks

Duel between Peter Beardsley and Neil Ruddock ended in Beardsley fracturing his cheekbone in three places in Ronnie Whelan's testimonial. From "British Soccer Week 19.08.1993.

Magic Ronnie!

Match report from The Daily Mirror on 03.09.1985.

City Buried

Match report from News of the world on 12.04.1986.

Paisley's opinion on Ronnie Whelan

Bob Paisley looked to one player on the big occasion.

Ronnie Whelan in Match's Star Spot 1985

Ronnie Whelan featured in Star Spot in Match in 1985.

Related Quotes

I was playing ever since I was 15 at Home Farm in Ireland but every school holiday I was playing for Manchester United as a trainee. Manchester United offered me an apprenticeship but I wanted to finish school and the year I finished school I went to Celtic in Scotland for a trial where I was going to be signed up.

I wanted to play in England despite even Dundalk wanting to sign me up also. The manager of Dundalk approached Liverpool and told them that I may be the player they're looking for. So I went to Liverpool in the summer for a 2-week trial and by June-July they decided they wanted to keep me. I was pretty nervous about going there but my dad told me I might as well start at the top!

Ronnie Whelan in an interview by Malta's LFC supporters club

"Came over from Ireland as a young boy at 18 years of age. Scored on his debut against Stoke City I think and just carried on from there. A good goalscorer, good passer and good runner. A determined and hard midfield player who was very underrated."

Kenny Dalglish on Ronnie Whelan

"The Spurs fans were already toasting their victory when Ronnie Whelan popped up and whipped his goal in to equalize in the dying seconds. It took a good player to do that because Ray Clemence was still a great goalkeeper, he’d kept Spurs in the game.

Paisley would not let us sit down before extra time started. He was bellowing: ‘Get up off your feet, don’t them let them see you are tired.’ It stemmed from Shankly, who would never let an opponent see that you were weak. After that, we felt we had it in the bag."

Phil Neal on the 1982 Milk Cup final vs. Tottenham

"The injuries didn't help me. Every time I got fit I'd get another injury. It was just non-stop for four years. When I was fit I didn't play too many games. I was a bit disappointed with Souey when he took the club captaincy off me and gave it to Mark Wright. I'd worn the number five shirt for so many years and when the names and squad numbers were introduced I got number 12. It doesn't make you think you're wanted that much in the team. All in all it wasn't great for me the last few years."

Ronnie Whelan on his last years at Liverpool

"A lot of people said I would be on my way when John Barnes came but Kenny moved me back into the centre. That was my best years. I loved playing in the centre. I loved being involved all the time, although I didn't score as many goals because I was more defensive and Macca did the runs forward. I knew I was there to win the ball back and give it to the likes of Beardsley and Barnes. And I knew when I played on the left side of midfield it was more of a holding job and maybe get around the back and score a few goals.

I did the job they wanted me to do. I didn't try to do anything spectacular. I couldn't dribble. I was a good passer of the ball. I could read the game well. I could break up attacks and start them off very quickly. The managers and the players appreciated the job more than some of the supporters."

Ronnie Whelan on his role at Liverpool

Over the course of a decade, Whelan made the transition from thrusting inside forward to holding midfield player, executing every role asked of him with class. It's the goals most people remember, the two that saw off Tottenham in the 1982 League Cup final and curling the ball into the Manchester United net at Wembley on the way to winning the same trophy a year later. Yet there was so much more to Whelan who, almost more than any other player I've seen in a red shirt, understood how to control the tempo of a game.

Tony Evans from Times online captures the essence of Ronnie Whelan

Scrapbook
Centre stage - 16 May 1989
Centre stage - 16 May 1989
Had to train with schoolboys - 7 April 1984
Had to train with schoolboys - 7 April 1984
He's laughing now! - A rising star in focus in the match programme in 1981
He's laughing now! - A rising star in focus in the match programme in 1981
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
Match factfile 1988
Match factfile 1988
Match factfile of Ireland's Whelan - October 1988
Match factfile of Ireland's Whelan - October 1988
Match poster 1985
Match poster 1985
Match poster of Ronnie Whelan from early 80s
Match poster of Ronnie Whelan from early 80s
Mixed feelings for the scout who found Ronnie Whelan - LFC match programme 1982
Mixed feelings for the scout who found Ronnie Whelan - LFC match programme 1982
Paisley's Milky Way - League Cup win 1983
Paisley's Milky Way - League Cup win 1983
Poster of Ronnie Whelan - 1982
Poster of Ronnie Whelan - 1982
Record-breakers - 23 September 1986
Record-breakers - 23 September 1986
Ronne times treble to perfection - 12 April 1986
Ronne times treble to perfection - 12 April 1986
Ronnie doing great, Ray Kennedy salutes Liverpool's new star - April 1982
Ronnie doing great, Ray Kennedy salutes Liverpool's new star - April 1982
Ronnie Whelan lifting the cup on the cover of Shoot! 27 May 1989
Ronnie Whelan lifting the cup on the cover of Shoot! 27 May 1989
Ronnie Whelan on the cover of Shoot! 3 February 1990
Ronnie Whelan on the cover of Shoot! 3 February 1990
Ronnie's ambition - LFC Match programme in 1994
Ronnie's ambition - LFC Match programme in 1994
Ronnie's rocket - 1 February 1986
Ronnie's rocket - 1 February 1986
Shoot! poster 1984
Shoot! poster 1984
Shoot! poster 1988
Shoot! poster 1988
Shoot! poster October 1988
Shoot! poster October 1988
Super Focus on Ronnie Whelan
Super Focus on Ronnie Whelan
Whelan explosion by Kenny Dalglish - August 1983
Whelan explosion by Kenny Dalglish - August 1983
Whelan Home grown
Whelan Home grown
Whelan in reserve!
Whelan in reserve!
Whelan profile - Liverpool fan club magazine 1987
Whelan profile - Liverpool fan club magazine 1987
Whelan's injury hell - Match July 1991
Whelan's injury hell - Match July 1991
Whelan's Wembley - 13 March 1982
Whelan's Wembley - 13 March 1982
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Home Farm 1976-1979 League of Ireland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Southend 1994-1995 England First Division 33 1 34 1
Southend 1995-1996 England First Division 1 0 1 0
Total 34 1 35 1