The legendary Bill Shankly is revered for his transformative work in Liverpool and his gift for finding the right words at the right time was unmatched.
Shankly served Liverpool Football Club for 15 years between 1959 and 1974, taking the club out of the Second Division and contending for European titles.
His legacy will live forever in the fabric of the club, not only because of what he did on the pitch with the team, but because of how he embodied everything that Liverpool and its supporters stand for.
The Scot won the league three times, the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Cup once, leaving an indelible legacy 48 years after his retirement and 41 years after his death.
An iconic figure with a long list of quotes that stand the test of time, we’ve selected 10 of his best.
This one never fails to bring out a smile, and it’s not wrong…
“In my time at Anfield, we always said we had the two best teams on Merseyside – Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves.
Shankly’s vision for the club was clear and it became one of his most famous quotes…
“My idea was to make Liverpool a bastion of invincibility. You know, Napoleon had that idea and he conquered the fucking world.
“And that is what I want, for Liverpool to be untouchable. My idea was to build Liverpool up, and up, and up. Until eventually, everyone would have to submit and give in.”
It was Shankly who first coined the idea of the club’s holy trinity, one that has evolved in front of a global fan base but remains relevant to this day…
“In a football club there is a holy trinity: the players, the coach and the fans. Directors don’t get into that. They are only there to sign the checks.”
The ‘This is Anfield’ sign was first installed by Shankly and went against the initial wording that read ‘Welcome to Anfield’, for good reason…
“He’s there to remind our guys who they’re playing for and to remind the opposition who they’re playing against!”
Back on the subject of our Merseyside rivals, Shankly doubled down with this brilliant quote…
“If Everton were playing in the back of my garden, I would close the curtains.”
In terms of his outlook on life, it was directly in tune with the club he served and made him the perfect ambassador…
“The socialism I believe in is everyone working for everyone else, everyone getting a share of the rewards. It’s my way of seeing football, my way of seeing life.”
As for his demands on the players wearing the red jersey, there was no doubt what he needed to see…
“For a player to be good enough to play for Liverpool, he has to be prepared to walk through a brick wall for me and then come out fighting on the other side.”
Now, we’ve all seen and heard this before…
“Some people believe that football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you that it is much, much more important than that.”
This is one of the great shows of his character, the words he said to the great Ian St John…
“If you’re not sure what to do with the ball, just put it in the net and we’ll discuss your options later.”
And this is definitely the best way to say goodbye…
“Liverpool was made for me and I was made for Liverpool.”
