Liverpool’s manager scored after 21 seconds at Goodison Park.
Not one of his players. The manager himself.
Kenny Dalglish had been appointed Liverpool’s player-manager that summer and, for the Merseyside derby on 21 September 1985, he picked himself up front.
Twenty-one seconds later, Liverpool were ahead.
It is difficult to watch the footage now without thinking about how much football has changed.
Modern managers stand on the touchline surrounded by assistants, analysts, fitness coaches, set-piece specialists and medical staff.
Dalglish is on the pitch.
And he doesn't look like a manager who happens to be playing. He looks like what he was: still one of Liverpool’s best players.
His opening goal was a reminder of that. Dalglish received the ball outside the box and hit a screamer past Neville Southall. Everton were the reigning league champions. Goodison was packed. Liverpool’s manager had just scored against them almost immediately.
Liverpool then threatened to run away with it.
Ronnie Whelan broke through with the Everton defence in trouble. He could have tried to score himself but instead squared the ball for Ian Rush, who had an open goal.
2–0.
Just before half-time, Dalglish was involved again. He set up Steve McMahon, whose strike from around the edge of the box beat Southall to make it 3–0. It was McMahon’s first Liverpool goal, and it came against his former club.
At half-time Liverpool were three goals ahead at the home of the champions.
They could have had more.
Rush had the ball in the net again with a lovely finish over Southall, only for the flag to go up for offside. Later he went through one-on-one and was denied by a good Southall save.
Everton were not finished either.
After McMahon was caught in possession, Paul Bracewell’s effort eventually fell to Graeme Sharp, who finished off the crossbar to pull one back.
Gary Lineker then made it 3–2 with six minutes remaining and suddenly a game Liverpool had completely controlled had become uncomfortable.
Dalglish could have made sure it never got that far.
Liverpool broke quickly and Phil Neal found him with a wonderful chance. Southall slipped, leaving Dalglish with the sort of opportunity he would usually put away without thinking.
Somehow, he put it over.
He missed another good chance as well, dragging his effort wide.
Dalglish probably walked off wondering how he had only scored once.
That is part of what makes watching the game interesting. He did not have some flawless performance because he was the manager. He scored a brilliant goal, created another and also missed two chances he would have expected to score.
He was having a footballer’s game.
Except this footballer had also picked the team.
Liverpool held on for a 3–2 win, but the result is almost secondary when you watch it four decades later.
The player-manager was not unique to Dalglish, and football would see some major names doing it afterwards. But at the very highest level today, the idea feels almost impossible.
One of Liverpool’s greatest ever players was 34 years old, had just been given one of the biggest managerial jobs in football and was still good enough to select himself for a Merseyside derby.
Then he went out and scored after 21 seconds.
And this was only September.
By May, Dalglish would pick himself at Stamford Bridge with Liverpool needing a win to become champions.
He scored the only goal.
The manager had won Liverpool the league.
Literally.