Mark Lawrenson

Mark Lawrenson formed one half of the most formidable defensive partnership of the 1980s. Fast, rangy and intelligent, and one of the cleanest tacklers around, he established an almost impregnable barrier with Alan Hansen as Liverpool swept to glory at home and abroad. It was at Preston where his career began as a 17-year-old in 1974, and he soon attracted the attention of bigger clubs. A £100,000 move to Brighton followed in 1977, and four years later Liverpool paid £900,000 for his services.

He went on to win a host of medals at Anfield, before an Achilles tendon injury brought his career to a premature end in 1988. He briefly moved into football management before building a successful broadcasting career, once more in tandem with Hansen.

Born in Lancashire, Lawrenson qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather, and made his international debut in a friendly against Poland in April 1977 at Dalymount Park. He won 39 caps over the next decade, but never got to play in a major international tournament.

Lawrenson joined First Division Oxford in March 1988, but his tenure at the Manor Ground proved a brief one. He failed to prevent them from relegation, and resigned after chairman Kevin Maxwell sold striker Dean Saunders to Derby, the club owned by his father, Robert Maxwell. He later had a short spell at Peterborough before turning his back on football management.