Ronnie Moran facts for kids

Ronald Moran (born February 28, 1934 – died March 22, 2017) was a famous Liverpool football player and coach. He was even a captain for the team. Later, he became a temporary manager twice in the early 1990s.

Ronnie spent his whole playing career at Liverpool. After that, he joined the special "Boot Room" coaching team. This team included other legends like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Joe Fagan. When he retired in 1998, he was the person who had worked for the club the longest.

Ronnie Moran passed away on March 22, 2017, when he was 83 years old.

Ronnie Moran: A Dedicated Player

Ronnie Moran was born in Crosby, a town near Liverpool. He started his football journey with Liverpool's 'C' team. At the same time, he was learning to be an electrician.

Starting His Professional Career

Ronnie played as a left-back. He signed his first professional contract in January 1952. He was only 18 years old when he played his first game. This was on November 22, 1952, against Derby County.

Becoming a Key Player

By the 1955–56 season, Ronnie became Liverpool's main left-back. At this time, Liverpool was in the Second Division, which is the second-highest league. Ronnie was known for being a strong defender. He was also very good at taking penalty kicks. He played consistently, missing only six games between 1955 and 1959.

Captain and Champion

Because of his hard work, Ronnie became the team captain. In the 1961–62 season, he played 16 games. This helped Liverpool get promoted back to the top league. Two seasons later, in 1963–64, he was part of the team that won the First Division title. He played almost every game that season.

Dealing with Injuries

Later, Ronnie started having injury problems. He missed the 1965 FA Cup Final where Liverpool won against Leeds United. However, he did play in a big game against Internazionale at Anfield. His last game was in Italy, where Liverpool lost in the European Cup semi-final.

Ronnie Moran: The Coaching Legend

In 1966, Bill Shankly, the manager, asked Ronnie to join the coaching staff. Ronnie kept playing for the reserve team for two more years. He helped guide the younger players.

Joining the Boot Room

Ronnie officially stopped playing in the 1968–69 season. He then joined the coaching team full-time. He became part of the famous "Boot Room" group. This group included Shankly, Joe Fagan, Bob Paisley, and Reuben Bennett.

In 1971, he became the coach for the reserve team. In the 1972–73 season, he led them to win the Central League Championship.

A Loyal Club Servant

Ronnie, also known as "Bugsy," was very important to Liverpool's success. He had great knowledge of the game. He also knew how to help players perform their best. He worked under many managers, including Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, and Roy Evans.

Ronnie was known for being humble. He never tried to be more famous than his teammates or the club. Fans on the Kop (a famous stand at Anfield) could often hear his loud voice shouting instructions to the players.

Caretaker Manager Role

In February 1991, Kenny Dalglish suddenly resigned as manager. Ronnie became the temporary boss for ten games. His first game in charge was a 3–1 loss to Luton Town. Ronnie did not want the manager job full-time. So, he stepped down when Graeme Souness became the new manager in April 1991.

In April 1992, Ronnie became caretaker manager again. This happened when Graeme Souness had heart surgery. Ronnie had the honor of leading Liverpool onto the field for the 1992 FA Cup Final. Souness returned to his full duties in July.

Ronnie continued coaching under Souness and then under his friend Roy Evans. Roy Evans became manager in January 1994. Ronnie had worked under nine different managers at the club. These included George Kay, Don Welsh, Phil Taylor, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, and Roy Evans.

Retirement and Legacy

Ronnie Moran finally retired from football in 1998. He had spent almost 50 years working for Liverpool. Like Bob Paisley, he had done almost every job at the club. He was a player, a physio, a coach, a trainer, a manager, and even a kit man.

In March 2017, a book called Mr Liverpool was released. It tells the story of Ronnie Moran's life at Liverpool FC.

Ronnie Moran died on March 22, 2017, at the age of 83.

Honours

Player

Liverpool

• Football League First Division (1): 1963–64
• Football League Second Division (1): 1961–62
• FA Charity Shield (1): 1964