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Birthdate:
18.09.1958
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Other clubs: South Liverpool, Newport, Oxford, Real Sociedad, Tranmere
Bought from: Oxford
Signed for LFC: £750000 27.01.1987
International debut: 26.03.1986 vs. Wales
International caps: Ireland 69/19 (19/1 at LFC) - 09.10.1996
Liverpool debut:
21.02.1987
Last appearance: 12.09.1989
Debut goal: 28.02.1987
Last goal: 12.09.1989
Contract expiry: 13.09.1989
LFC league games/goals: 83 / 50
Total LFC games/goals: 104 / 63
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Player Notes:
Once upon a time Liverpool had the luxury of dropping 30 goals-a-season strikers. His disciplinary problems with LFC didn't help his relationship with the management though. Aldo was the master of link-up play. He would receive the ball with his back to the opposition and feed it into the right channels and make his way to the box where he was deadly. Aldridge was a fervent Liverpool fan from a very early age and must have thought his chance of playing for his boyhood heroes had passed him by as he plied his trade with Newport County & Oxford United. But the imminent departure of Ian Rush to Juventus meant that Kenny Dalglish needed to strengthen his attacking force and Aldridge needed no second invitation when he finally made his 'dream move' to Anfield early in 1987 at the age of 28.
All but 2 of his 10 appearances in the 1986-87 season came as a substitute so it was not perhaps surprising that Aldridge only scored twice. Once Rush had moved to Italy, Aldridge took over the responsibility of leading the attack with devastating effect, scoring in each of the first NINE League matches and totalling 26 in the League by the time the season was over and the championship had been safely secured.
Normally so reliable from 12 yards, Aldridge sadly became the first player to miss a penalty in an FA Cup final at Wembley when Liverpool were denied the Double by Wimbledon in 1988. 12 months later in the same event he scored with his first touch against Everton to add an FA Cup winners' medal to the championship won a year before and thereby complete his domestic set of honours as he had already won the League Cup as an Oxford player in 1986. Aldridge added a further 21 league goals in 1988-89 but with Rush's return from Italy he became surplus to requirements at Anfield. With a move to Real Sociedad looming, he seemed unlikely to play for Liverpool again but was allowed to come off the bench when a penalty was awarded in the 9-0 massacre of Crystal Palace on 12th of September 1989. Peter Beardsley graciously making way for him Aldridge tucked the spot-kick away with his usual efficiency and threw his shirt and boots into the crowd at the end of an emotional farewell appearance.
Aldo was a true goalscoring wizard and it didn't matter where he was playing, the goals kept coming. His astounding career stats are as follows:
| Team |
Period |
Games |
Goals |
| Newport |
1979-84 |
213 |
90 |
| Oxford |
1984-87 |
141 |
90 |
| Liverpool |
1987-89 |
104 |
63 |
| Real Sociedad |
1989-91 |
75 |
40 |
| Tranmere |
1991-98 |
287 |
174 |
| Republic of Ireland |
1986-96 |
69 |
19 |
| Total |
889 |
476 |
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