Liverpool F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Liverpool Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Reds | |||
| Founded | 3 June 1892 | |||
| Ground | Anfield | |||
| Capacity | 61,276 | |||
| Owner | Fenway Sports Group | |||
| Chairman | Tom Werner | |||
| Head coach | Arne Slot | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2018–19 | Premier League, 2nd of 20 (champions) | |||
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Liverpool Football Club is a professional football team from Liverpool, England. They play in the Premier League, which is the top football league in England. The club started in 1892 and has played its home games at Anfield ever since. Liverpool is known as one of the most popular and valuable football clubs globally.
Liverpool has won many trophies. They have won a record twenty league titles, eight FA Cups, and a record ten League Cups in England. On the international stage, they have won six European Cups, three UEFA Cups, four UEFA Super Cups, and one FIFA Club World Cup. These are all English records for international trophies! Great managers like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish helped the club become very successful in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. More recently, Rafael Benítez led them to a European Cup win in 2005, and Jürgen Klopp guided them to another European Cup in 2019 and their nineteenth league title in 2020. After Klopp left in 2024, Arne Slot became manager and led Liverpool to their twentieth league title in 2025.
The team is known as the Reds because they wear an all-red uniform, a tradition started by manager Bill Shankly. Their famous song is "You'll Never Walk Alone". Liverpool has big rivalries, especially with local team Everton in the Merseyside derby. They also have a long-standing rivalry with Manchester United, as both are very successful English clubs.
The club's history includes sad events that led to important changes in football safety. In 1985, at the Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels, 39 people lost their lives. This led to English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years, with Liverpool banned for an extra year. Later, in 1989, the Hillsborough disaster tragically resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans due to overcrowding. This event brought about major changes in stadium safety, leading to all-seater stadiums in England's top football leagues. A long fight for justice showed that the fans were not to blame for what happened at Hillsborough.
Contents
The Story of Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club was created after a disagreement. The Everton team committee and John Houlding, who owned the land at Anfield, had a dispute. Everton moved to a new stadium, Goodison Park, in 1892. Houlding then founded Liverpool F.C. to play at Anfield. The club was first called "Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd." but changed its name to Liverpool F.C. in March 1892.
Liverpool played its first game on 1 September 1892. It was a friendly match against Rotherham Town, which they won 7–1. The team was made up entirely of Scottish players, who were sometimes called "Scotch Professors." Manager John McKenna found these players. The team won the Lancashire League in its first season. They then joined the Football League Second Division in 1893. After being promoted to the top league in 1896, Tom Watson became manager. He led Liverpool to their first league title in 1901 and another in 1906.
Liverpool reached their first FA Cup final in 1914 but lost to Burnley. They won league championships in 1922 and 1923. However, they didn't win another trophy until 1947, when George Kay led them to their fifth First Division title. In 1950, Liverpool lost another FA Cup final to Arsenal. The club was relegated to the Second Division in 1954. After a surprising loss to a non-league team in 1959, Bill Shankly became manager. He made big changes, letting go of many players and creating the famous "The Boot Room" where coaches planned strategies.
The Shankly and Paisley Eras
Shankly led the club back to the First Division in 1962. They won the league title in 1964, their first in 17 years. In 1965, Liverpool won their first FA Cup. The next year, they won the First Division again. Shankly retired in 1974 and his assistant, Bob Paisley, took over.
Paisley's time as manager was incredibly successful. In 1976, Liverpool won both the League and the UEFA Cup. The next season, they won the League title again and their first European Cup. Liverpool won the European Cup again in 1978 and the First Division title in 1979. During his nine seasons, Paisley's teams won 20 trophies. These included three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, and six League titles.
More Trophies and Challenges
Paisley retired in 1983, and his assistant, Joe Fagan, became manager. In Fagan's first season, Liverpool won the League, League Cup, and European Cup. This made them the first English team to win three major trophies in one season. In 1985, Liverpool reached the European Cup final again. However, a tragic incident at the Heysel Stadium led to the deaths of 39 fans. This event, known as the Heysel Stadium disaster, resulted in English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years. Liverpool received an extra year's ban.
Fagan retired after the disaster, and Kenny Dalglish became player-manager. Under Dalglish, the club won three more league titles and two FA Cups. This included winning both the League and FA Cup in the 1985–86 season. However, another tragedy occurred in 1989. At an FA Cup semi-final, the Hillsborough disaster tragically claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool supporters due to overcrowding. This event led to major changes in stadium safety across England. The Taylor Report recommended that all top-division stadiums become all-seater.
In the 1990s, Liverpool had some ups and downs. Managers like Graeme Souness and Roy Evans led the team to an FA Cup win in 1992 and a League Cup in 1995. In 1998, Gérard Houllier took over. In 2001, his team won a "treble": the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup.
Modern Success and New Eras
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Rafael Benítez became manager in 2004. In his first season, Liverpool won the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, beating AC Milan in a thrilling final. The next season, they won the FA Cup. In 2007, American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks bought the club. However, their ownership faced challenges.
In October 2010, John W. Henry's Fenway Sports Group became the new owners. After a period of change, Brendan Rodgers became manager in 2012. His team had an exciting title challenge in the 2013–14 season, finishing second.
Jürgen Klopp took over as manager in October 2015. Under Klopp, Liverpool reached several finals. They won the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League in 2019. Later that year, they won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. In the 2019–20 season, Liverpool won their first top-flight league title in thirty years. They also won the FA Cup and League Cup in the 2021–22 season. Klopp announced he would leave the club in January 2024, winning his final trophy, the League Cup, the following month.
Arne Slot was announced as Klopp's successor in May 2024. In his first season, Slot guided the club to a record-equalling twentieth top-flight league title in 2025.
Team Colours and Badge
For most of Liverpool's history, their home uniform has been all red. When the club started in 1892, they wore blue and white shirts. But in 1896, they changed to red, the colour of the city. The liver bird, a symbol of Liverpool, became the club's badge in 1901. It was first added to the kit in 1955.
In 1964, manager Bill Shankly decided to change the home kit to all red. Player Ian St John remembered Shankly saying the all-red look would be "red for danger, red for power." This iconic all-red kit has been used ever since.
Liverpool's away kits have often been yellow or white shirts with black shorts. Over the years, they have also worn grey, green, gold, navy, and black kits. A third kit is sometimes used for European away matches or when the main away kit clashes with another team's colours.
Liverpool was the first English professional club to have a sponsor's logo on its shirts, starting with Hitachi in 1979. Since then, companies like Crown Paints, Candy, Carlsberg, and Standard Chartered have sponsored the club. In 2025, the club reunited with Adidas for a new 10-year partnership for their kits.
The Liverpool badge features the city's liver bird symbol. In 1992, for the club's 100th anniversary, a new badge was created. It included a picture of the Shankly Gates, which are outside Anfield. The next year, two flames were added to the sides. These flames represent the Hillsborough memorial, where an eternal flame burns for those who died in the disaster. Since the 2022–23 season, the number 97 has been worn on the back collar of the shirt, remembering the 97 lives lost at Hillsborough.
Anfield Stadium: Home of the Reds
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Liverpool's home stadium is Anfield. It was built in 1884 and was first used by Everton. After a disagreement over rent, Everton moved, and John Houlding founded Liverpool F.C. to play at Anfield in 1892. The stadium could hold 20,000 people back then.
The Kop is a famous part of the stadium where Liverpool's most passionate fans, called "Kopites," gather. It was built in 1906 and named the Spion Kop after a hill in South Africa where many soldiers from Lancashire died in a battle. At its largest, the Kop could hold 28,000 fans.
Anfield once held over 60,000 supporters. However, after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, new rules required all top-division stadiums to have only seats. This reduced Anfield's capacity to 45,276. The stadium has been expanded several times since then. The Main Stand was redeveloped, and the Anfield Road stand was also expanded. In March 2024, the first league game with over 60,000 fans was played after the Anfield Road stand was almost finished. The stadium's current capacity is 61,276.
Liverpool Supporters
Liverpool has one of the largest fan bases in the world. The club has over 300 official fan clubs in 100 countries. Fans often call themselves "Kopites," after the famous Kop stand at Anfield. In 2024, Liverpool became the first Premier League club to reach 10 million subscribers on YouTube.
The club's anthem is "You'll Never Walk Alone." This song, originally from a musical, is sung by fans before every game. It's a very important part of being a Liverpool supporter. The song's title is even on the Shankly Gates outside Anfield, which honor former manager Bill Shankly.
Liverpool supporters have been affected by two major stadium disasters. The 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster tragically led to the deaths of 39 people. This resulted in English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years. The 1989 Hillsborough disaster saw 97 Liverpool fans lose their lives due to overcrowding. After this, a newspaper called The Sun published false stories about the fans. This led to a widespread boycott of the newspaper by Liverpool fans, which continues to this day. Many groups, like the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, were formed to support the families and seek justice.
Team Rivalries
Liverpool has two main rivalries. The first is with their local neighbours, Everton. Their matches are called the Merseyside derby. This rivalry started when Liverpool F.C. was formed after a dispute with Everton. It's known as the "friendly derby" because fans often sit together. However, it can also be very intense on the field.
The second big rivalry is with Manchester United. This rivalry comes from the historical competition between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Both clubs are the most successful in English football. They have won many trophies, but rarely at the same time. This makes their matches some of the most famous in English football.
Club Leadership
The first chairman of Liverpool was John Houlding, who founded the club. Over the years, many people have led the club. John Smith was chairman during a very successful period from 1973 to 1990. Later, David Moores, whose family had owned the club for over 50 years, became chairman.
In 2007, American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks bought the club. However, they later faced difficulties. In October 2010, John W. Henry's Fenway Sports Group (FSG) bought Liverpool for £300 million.
Liverpool is considered a global brand. In May 2024, Forbes magazine ranked Liverpool as the fourth-most valuable football club in the world. They estimated the club's value at $5.37 billion.
Liverpool in the Media
Liverpool has been part of many important moments in media history. Their match against Arsenal in 1964 was featured in the first episode of BBC's Match of the Day. In March 1967, a game between Liverpool and West Ham United was the first football match shown live in colour on TV.
The club's fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" were even featured in the Pink Floyd song "Fearless". Liverpool players also released a song called "Anfield Rap" for the 1988 FA Cup Final.
The Hillsborough disaster was the subject of a 1996 TV drama. Liverpool has also appeared in films like The 51st State and the children's TV show Scully. In 2021, the TV show Doctor Who featured the Doctor outside Anfield.
In 2024, Liverpool was named the most-watched club in world football over the last five seasons. They had an average global audience of over 724 million for their league and cup games.
Meet the Players
First-team squad
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Players Out on Loan
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Retired Jersey Numbers
Since 11 July 2025, Liverpool has retired the number 20 jersey. This was done to honor the memory of Diogo Jota, a beloved player who sadly passed away on 3 July 2025.
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Club Captains
Since Liverpool started in 1892, 46 players have been club captain. Andrew Hannah was the first captain. Steven Gerrard was the longest-serving captain, leading the team for 12 seasons from 2003 to 2015. The current captain is Virgil van Dijk, who has held the role since the 2023–24 season.
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
 Andrew Hannah |
1892–1895 |
| Jimmy Ross |
1895–1897 |
| John McCartney |
1897–1898 |
 Harry Storer |
1898–1899 |
| Alex Raisbeck |
1899–1909 |
| Arthur Goddard |
1909–1912 |
| Ephraim Longworth |
1912–1913 |
| Harry Lowe |
1913–1915 |
| Donald McKinlay |
1919–1920 |
| Ephraim Longworth |
1920–1921 |
| Donald McKinlay |
1921–1928 |
| Tom Bromilow |
1928–1929 |
| James Jackson |
1929–1930 |
| Tom Morrison |
1930–1931 |
| Tom Bradshaw |
1931–1934 |
| Tom Cooper |
1934–1939 |
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Matt Busby |
1939–1940 |
| Willie Fagan |
1945–1947 |
| Jack Balmer |
1947–1950 |
| Phil Taylor |
1950–1953 |
| Bill Jones |
1953–1954 |
| Laurie Hughes |
1954–1955 |
| Billy Liddell |
1955–1958 |
| Johnny Wheeler |
1958–1959 |
| Ronnie Moran |
1959–1960 |
| Dick White |
1960–1961 |
| Ron Yeats |
1961–1970 |
| Tommy Smith |
1970–1973 |
| Emlyn Hughes |
1973–1978 |
| Phil Thompson |
1978–1981 |
| Graeme Souness |
1982–1984 |
| Phil Neal |
1984–1985 |
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Alan Hansen |
1985–1988 |
 Ronnie Whelan |
1988–1989 |
| Alan Hansen |
1989–1990 |
| Ronnie Whelan |
1990–1991 |
| Steve Nicol |
1990–1991 |
| Mark Wright |
1991–1993 |
 Ian Rush |
1993–1996 |
| John Barnes |
1996–1997 |
| Paul Ince |
1997–1999 |
| Jamie Redknapp |
1999–2002 |
 Sami Hyypiä |
2001–2003 |
| Steven Gerrard |
2003–2015 |
| Jordan Henderson |
2015–2023 |
 Virgil van Dijk |
2023– |
Club Officials and Coaching Staff
Fenway Sports Group and FSG International
Liverpool Football Club
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Coaching and Medical Staff
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Liverpool's Trophies and Achievements
Liverpool is known as the most successful club in English football based on the number of trophies won. Their first trophy was the Lancashire League in their very first season. They won their first League title in 1901, and their record-equalling twentieth title was in 2025. The club won its first FA Cup in 1965. The 1980s were Liverpool's most successful decade, with many League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, and European Cups. In 2020, Liverpool became the first English club to win a League title in eight different decades.
Liverpool also holds the record for the most top-flight wins and points among English teams. They are also the most successful British club in international football with fourteen trophies. This includes six European Cups, which is an English record. Their fifth European Cup win in 2005 meant they were allowed to keep the trophy permanently. Liverpool also holds English records for three UEFA Cups and four UEFA Super Cups. In 2019, they won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, becoming the first English club to win the international treble of the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | First Division/Premier League | 20s | 1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2019–20, 2024–25 |
| Second Division | 4 | 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, 1961–62 | |
| FA Cup | 8 | 1964–65, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2021–22 | |
| Football League Cup/EFL Cup | 10 | 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2021–22, 2023–24 | |
| FA Charity Shield/FA Community Shield | 16 | 1964*, 1965*, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977*, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986*, 1988, 1989, 1990*, 2001, 2006, 2022 (* shared) | |
| Football League Super Cup | 1 | 1985–86 | |
| Continental | European Cup/UEFA Champions League | 6 | 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84, 2004–05, 2018–19 |
| UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League | 3 | 1972–73, 1975–76, 2000–01 | |
| UEFA Super Cup | 4 | 1977, 2001, 2005, 2019 | |
| Worldwide | FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 2019 |
- record
- s shared record
Other Titles
- Lancashire League
- Winners (1): 1892–93
- Sheriff of London Charity Shield
- Winners (1): 1906
Winning Multiple Trophies in a Season
- Doubles:
- League and FA Cup (1): 1985–86
- League and League Cup (2): 1981–82, 1982–83
- League and European Cup (2): 1976–77, 1983–84
- League and UEFA Cup (2): 1972–73, 1975–76
- League Cup and European Cup (1): 1980–81
- FA Cup and League Cup (1): 2021–22
- Trebles:
- League, League Cup and European Cup (1): 1983–84
- FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup (1): 2000–01
See also
In Spanish: Liverpool Football Club para niños
