Jan Molby arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 1984 for a ten-day trial with Joe Fagan’s Liverpool. He made his debut less than two weeks after his first training session.
The following season new player-manager Kenny Dalglish made him a proper first-team regular and he had his best campaign in red. A cult Liverpool player was born. In 2022 FourFourTwo named him the 35th best Liverpool player of all-time and the club’s 27th best ever signing.
His 21-goals in 1985-86 culminated in a man-of-the-match performance in the first ever all-Merseyside FA Cup Final which Liverpool won 3-1. Molby had a hand in all three goals.
Jan Molby, honorary scouser
The Dane’s interviews became legendary. He told FourFourTwo he soon realised his was talking like a local.
“I was quick to pick up all of those things. I did show willingness as, in 1984, it was a big thing for an English club to sign a foreign player and I think everybody thought, ‘Is he going to get involved or not?’
Molby’s grasp of English was as exceptional as his midfield skills. Beginning his professional career with Kolding IF before moving to the Netherlands to play for Ajax, he made a significant impact at Liverpool where he played for most of his career.
He was made an ‘Honourary Scouser’ by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 2009 having won three English league titles, two FA Cups and many hearts.
