Kenny Dalglish has left no room for doubt on his opinion of a former teammate when discussing underappreciated players during his time at Liverpool.
Dalglish spent 13 years at Anfield, first as a player and then player-manager, and left behind a legacy of guiding the club to one of their most dominant periods in history — winning six league titles, three European Cups and a handful of English honours.
Crowned “King Kenny”, the Scottish legend made 515 appearances for Liverpool, scored 172 goals, and is widely considered the club’s greatest ever player.
Speaking in a recent interview, Dalglish was firm that he never underappreciated anybody during his time as player or manager. When asked if former defender Steve Nicol was underappreciated, the Liverpool icon’s reaction was one of genuine surprise.
“Steve Nicol, underappreciated? Only by somebody outside that had nothing to do with selecting the teams.
There was nobody at Liverpool that underappreciated Steve Nicol.”
Bob Paisley brought 19-year-old Nicol to Anfield in 1981 as an eventual replacement for right-back Phil Neal. After the £300,000 switch from part-time Ayr United, Nicol became a regular in Liverpool’s first team for 11 years and left a club legend after 468 appearances.
Dalglish’s praise of Nicol aligns with the defenders remarkable legacy at Anfield. During their time spent as teammates, the Scottish duo won three league titles and two FA Cups, alongside the European Cup in 1984.
A versatile player, the Scottish right-back would regularly break into midfield and then attack, often showing his fine finishing. Of the 46 goals Nicol scored during his time at Anfield, none were more memorable than the hat-trick against Newcastle United in 1987. In 1989 his quality was acknowledged with the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award.
After his final appearance for the Reds came in a League Cup tie against Burnley in October 1994, Nicol left Liverpool January 1995, bringing an end to his 13 year tenure at the club.
Thirty years on, Dalglish’s words only reinforce what those within Anfield already knew — Steve Nicol was anything but underappreciated.
