IN the 1980s there was only one club in England footballers wanted to play for. Liverpool were still head and shoulders above everybody else in the glory stakes, having been top dog in English club football for years.

In the summer of 1987 Kenny Dalglish was continuing to add to his side, after they had been beaten to the First Division title by cross-city rivals Everton in the 1986/87 season.

As well as buying Watford winger John Barnes, King Kenny also splashed the cash to bring Peter Beardsley to Anfield from his hometown club, Newcastle United. ‘Pedro’ cost Liverpool £1.9m - then a British record fee - but it would turn out to be a bargain for the Merseysiders.

Today in 1987 Liverpool played their first match of the new season, with both Barnes and Beardsley put straight into the starting line up for the clash with Arsenal at Highbury. Along with John Aldridge, the new ‘B and B’ signings were to form Dalglish’s new attacking trio, with goal machine Ian Rush having left for Juventus, which he was memorably surprised to find was in a different country.

Both the new signings played well as goals from Aldridge and Steve Nicol meant the reds took all three points on opening day. Beardsley did not score that day, but he did not have to wait long to open his account, netting at the end of August against Coventry City and Highfield Road.

In his first season at Anfield he became an immediate kop favourite as his often spectacular skills meant the team suffered just two League defeats all season as they cantered to the title.



He even ’scored’ in the famous FA Cup Final loss to Wimbledon, but had his goal ruled out as dreams of a double in his first season on Merseyside were dashed.

However, he did go on to win the FA Cup with the club, and picked up another League winners’ medal in his four years in a red shirt.

In 1991, with Dalglish departed, and one-man cat-amongst-the-pigeons Graeme Souness now in charge, Beardsley found himself sidelined and Souness shocked fans by selling him to Everton for £1m.

His move across Stanley Park enabled Beardsley to lend his name to another piece of trivia when he became only the second player, after David Johnson, to score the winner for both sides in the Mersey derby.

There’s only one way to end an article about Peter B, and that is a montage of his on-field genius. Last year on this day we had this to say, and we’ll be back tomorrow for the tale of another false dawn for the England team.

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