John Aldridge is one of the greatest goalscorers in Liverpool’s history, but he left the club on a “bitter” note and has now spoken openly about the events of his departure.
For a player who spent just two and a half years at Liverpool, Aldridge’s name carries notable weight among his fans, which is testament to how brilliant a player he was.
Across the 1987/88 and 1988/89 seasons, the boyhood Liverpool fan scored 60 goals in 92 appearances, winning the First Division and FA Cup in those respective campaigns.
Despite his fantastic record, he was sold to Real Sociedad when he was at the peak of his powers, when Ian Rush regained the number 9 shirt.
In an emotional interview on Virgin Media Sport, Aldridge said he “don’t know” why trainer Kenny Dalglish sold him, saying: “Not a clue, not a clue.
“When Rushie came back (he was a great player, my teammate), I was very happy to fight for my place.”
However, Dalglish had other ideas, as the forward recounted. Kenny said, “You’re leaving, you’ve got to leave because you’re going to be sitting on your butt all season.”
“It seemed strange to me with the two seasons. [I’d just had]. “I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t happy at all.”
There was one incident in particular that put the nail in the coffin of Aldridge’s career.
In the week before the 1989 Community Shield, Liverpool’s first team played against the reserves. Aldridge played on the B team in this case and said that he “had a good period and scored.”
After the game he was told he had to play another game that night, against Stafford Rangers, minnows the player had faced in his days in south Liverpool.
“I couldn’t sleep that night. I was knackered but couldn’t sleep; I had to go see Kenny the next day,” Aldridge recalled.
“So I went in and went into the office after him and told him some home truths, which he probably wasn’t happy with.
“I respect the coach, but I don’t respect having to play two games when I’m 30 years old, and that was written on the wall then. “It wasn’t like Kenny to do that.”
It is worth remembering that everyone at the club, especially Dalglish, suffered the consequences of the Hillsborough disaster.
When Aldridge finally left, he became the first player of non-Basque origin to play for Real Sociedad.
Before that, however, he had an emotional farewell at Anfield, when he scored a penalty in Liverpool’s famous 9-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace.
Aldridge revealed: “When I ran away, it was one of the most emotional moments of my life.
“I had to lock myself in the bathrooms and calm down a little, because I knew that everything was over for me, that was it.”
A true red.
