Page "Bill Shankly" Paragraph 44

The two Scottish players were centre half Ron Yeats and centre forward Ian St John from Dundee United and Motherwell respectively.

With Sawyer's help, Shankly signed them both in the spring of 1961 and challenged the Liverpool board to " sack me if they can't play ".

At a press conference when Yeats came to Liverpool, Shankly emphasised Yeats's huge size by inviting the journalists to " go and walk round him ; he's a colossus!

" Goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence came through the club's junior teams, so Shankly now had his " strength through the middle " and the team building continued with the transfer of wing half Gordon Milne from Preston.

Other players developed at Anfield were Jimmy Melia, Ronnie Moran, Alan A ' Court and future England internationals Gerry Byrne and Roger Hunt.

Shankly said of goalscorer Hunt the first time he saw him: " Christ, this one can play!

" Liverpool had finished third in both 1959 – 60 and 1960 – 61 ( only the top two clubs were promoted ) but the new team was ready for promotion in the 1961 – 62 season and duly won the Second Division championship, Hunt scoring 41 goals.