Sir Matt Busby
Right half (1935/36 - 1939/40)
Date of Birth: 26/5/1909
Birthplace: Lanarkshire
Debut : 14th March 1936 v Huddersfield Town (A) Football League Division One: Lost 0-1
1st team games: 125
1st team goals: 3
Other clubs: Manchester City
Manager: Manchester United
National team: Scotland 1 caps/0 goals
While Sir Matt Busby will always be remembered for re-building Manchester United and surviving the Munich air disaster he made his name as a player with Liverpool and enjoyed a life-long friendship with Bob Paisley, whose deeds in charge of Liverpool make him the most successful manager ever in English football.
A Scotland international from Lanarkshire, Busby joined Liverpool for £8,000 from Manchester City in March 1936 and was made captain. Originally an inside forward he had been switched to right half earlier in his career. It proved an inspired decision. Busby's wing half play contained outstanding elegance and grace and his use of the ball was brilliant.
He was skipper when Paisley signed as a young player from Bishop Auckland in 1939 and immediately took the new arrival under his wing. When war was declared Busby was among several Anfield players who joined the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Liverpool decided to make Busby club coach but before he could take up the appointment at the end of the war, United offered him their vacant manager's job and Liverpool chairman Billy McConnell persuaded the board to release him.
Honours with Liverpool: None
Matt Busby