Kenny Dalglish Picked his Team-Mates 11 with Liverpool, Celtic and Man Utd Legends

Still considered a legend by Celtic fans and thought of as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players, Sir Kenny Dalglish is undoubtedly a footballing great. A forward, Dalglish made his professional debut with Celtic in 1969 and would spend the first eight years of his career in Glasgow.

After winning the league in Scotland four times, along with four Scottish Cups and a Scottish League Cup, Dalglish departed Celtic in 1977 after Liverpool, under the management of the great Bob Paisley at the time, made a then-record bid for Dalglish’s services.

In his mid-20s, Dalglish finally ventured into English football and would spend the remaining 13 years of his career at Anfield. The Scot’s time with the Reds coincided with a dominant period of their history. Dalglish lifted six First Division titles and five domestic cups, also winning three European Cups.

For the final five years of his playing days, Dalglish worked as a player-manager for Liverpool, being in charge of the club from 1985 to 1991, a year after he retired. Three of Dalglish’s league championships were won under his management, something he would work in for years after his time as a forward came to an end.

Dalglish, who is also the record appearance maker and joint-highest scorer for the Scottish national team, shared the pitch with some incredible players across his career. Back in 2021, speaking to the BBC, Dalglish named a team consisting of his best-ever teammates. Who, though, did he choose?

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Ray Clemence

Goalkeeper

In goal for Dalglish was Ray Clemence, a player who is much adored by both the Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur fanbases. Having established himself with Scunthorpe in his early career, Clemence signed for Liverpool in 1967, where he would spend the next 14 years of his time as a player.

Dalglish spent just four seasons with Clemence at Anfield, but in those years, the pair won two league titles and a European Cup. Unsurprisingly, the Scot had nothing but praise for the shot-stopper.

Danny McGrain

Full-Back

A pro for 18 years, Danny McGrain spent all but his last season with Celtic, as one of multiple young prospects that emerged for the club towards the end of the 1960s. McGrain made his debut for Celtic in 1970 and swiftly established himself as an immovable part of the first team.

At his peak, McGrain was considered one of the greatest in the world in his position, such was his ability. The defender helped Celtic win seven league titles and seven domestic cups and spent seven years playing alongside Dalglish.

Alan Hansen and Billy McNeill

Centre-Backs

In the centre of defence, Dalglish elected to name a player from each of the clubs that he played for. Alan Hansen was chosen as one of the two, the centre-back having started his career at Partick Thistle in his native Scotland. After four years there, he signed for Liverpool in 1977, the same year as Dalglish’s move.

Hansen retired in 1991, just one year after Dalglish, sharing all the honours won by his fellow Scot. Next to Hansen in Dalglish’s picked 11 was Billy McNeill, who spent the entirety of his senior career with Celtic, debuting for the club in 1957.

McNeill was a long-serving captain of Celtic, wearing the armband from 1963 until his 1975 retirement, spending the last six of those years with Dalglish as a teammate. In his tenure as skipper, McNeill guided to 23 domestic honours and most famously, the 1967 European Cup as part of the “Lisbon Lions.”

Dalglish noted, however, that the pair only narrowly got into the team ahead of two other former teammates.

Phil Neal

Full-Back

A defender with 50 England caps under his belt, Phil Neal established himself with Northampton Town, debuting in 1967 and spending seven years with the club. His form there saw Liverpool move to sign Neal in 1974 and though he would become a legendary right-back for the club, he was first signed to play on the left-hand side.

Neal joined Liverpool just three years before Dalglish, going on to spend eight seasons with the Scot in a successful era of Liverpool’s history. Known for his dependability, Neal still ranks amongst not only Liverpool’s best-ever defenders, but the best British defenders from the 20th century.

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Ray Kennedy and Jimmy Johnstone

Wide Midfielders

Moving into wide midfield and Dalglish, once more, chose both a player from Liverpool and a player from Celtic. Representing Merseyside was Ray Kennedy, who spent five years playing alongside Dalglish at Anfield before departing the club in 1982, having won the 1981 European Cup together along with three league titles.

On the other flank was another member of the Lisbon Lions, Jimmy Johnstone. Called “Jinky” for his mercurial dribbling, he was a diminutive outside right who, in 1967, finished third in the Ballon d’Or rankings, such was Johnstone’s quality at his peak. Johnstone, like the aforementioned McNeill, was part of the Celtic team that won nine-straight league titles between 1965 and 1974.

Graeme Souness

Central Midfield

Dalglish was a teammate of Graeme Souness’ for the entirety of the midfielder’s tenure at Anfield. Souness, having spent six years with Middlesbrough, signed for Liverpool in 1978. Souness was a staple of Liverpool’s midfield for the entirety of his tenure, with Souness experiencing great success both domestically and on the continent.

Souness and Dalglish also played together internationally for over a decade. Both were fixtures in the Scottish national side, with neither making an appearance for their country beyond 1986. Unsurprisingly, both Dalglish and Souness are considered as some of Scotland’s greatest-ever talents.

Bobby Murdoch

Central Midfield

Next to Souness, Dalglish elected to name Bobby Murdoch. A midfielder, Murdoch began his career with Celtic and after spending time away from the club on loan between 1959 and 1961, established himself within the first team.

Murdoch would play for Celtic until 1973, finding his best form after moving to midfield from the position of inside right, developing into a stellar playmaker who was at the heart of everything good Celtic did going forward. Along with his passing range, Murdoch also possessed a phenomenal control of the ball, which helped Celtic create what was one of their most-successful eras.

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Denis Law

Striker

No man has scored more goals for Scotland than Kenny Dalglish, but Denis Law scored the same amount for their country across his career. At the time of writing, Law remains the only Scot to have won the Ballon d’Or, which the centre forward received in 1964, two years into an 11-year stint with Manchester United.

After starting his career with Huddersfield Town, Law moved to Manchester City in 1960 though ventured abroad to join Torino the following year. The attacker returned to Manchester after just one season in Italy, only to join Man United rather than City, where Law would carve out a legacy for himself.

Law represented Scotland between 1958 and 1974, meaning that Dalglish got to play alongside one of his idols for three years of his international duty.

Ian Rush

Striker

Partnering Law up front in Dalglish’s team was none other than Ian Rush, Liverpool’s most-proficient goalscorer in history. A Welsh international, the striker started his career with Chester, where his form across two years attracted the attention of Liverpool, who signed him in 1980.

Rush soon became a consistent performer at Liverpool, so much so that Juventus decided to sign the striker in 1986, though Rush would first spend a season on loan in Merseyside. After just a year in Serie A, Rush returned to Anfield, where he spent eight further years to reaffirm his legacy amongst supporters of the Reds.

(All stats are from Transfermarkt or the official Liverpool website and are correct as of 29/04/2025)

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