Liverpool and England Icon Phil Thompson Named His 3 Hardest Teammates

Younger fans will more commonly recognise Phil Thompson as a regular part of Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday up until 2020 but he has a fine career. His best years were with Liverpool as he made himself a club icon, winning the old First Division seven times.

A star of the 70s and 80s, the three-time European Cup winner played in an era where footballers could get away with more than they do these days. The centre-back was no stranger to a tough tackle himself, but there were a few opponents and even teammates he was wary of during his career.

Speaking on Jeff Stelling’s Football’s Greatest podcast (as quoted by Daily Star), Thompson once revealed the three hardest players he came across during his career.

Tommy Smith

Liverpool legend

First off, iconic Liverpool leader Tommy Smith was named. The defender shone for the Reds in the 60s and 70s, winning four league titles, two FA Cups, two European Cups, and the UEFA Cup twice. Thompson explained:

“There was loads of big players when I started and came into the team because at 18, I’m looking around and these are still the guys I was watching from the terraces. Tommy Smith’s there, oh my god, I always believed Tommy Smith was the greatest leader and captain Liverpool’s ever had and I’ve seen lots, even modern day, this fella drove our team on, pushed our team on.

“He could be having a nightmare and this is where leadership comes in, he could be having a rotten game but he didn’t shrink. He made sure to keep us on our toes, he’d be hitting 50-yard balls out to Steve Heighway, never reach him and going into the Kemlyn Road Stand and you’d go ‘unlucky Tom’.”

3:13

Related

20 Greatest Players in Liverpool History (Ranked)

The 20 greatest players in Liverpool history have been named, including Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

Emlyn Hughes

Iconic Liverpool captain

Thompson spoke about another former Liverpool captain next, this time picking Emlyn Hughes – who actually took over as skipper from Smith after complaining to Bill Shankly at being left out of the team for a game. He would earn the nickname ‘Crazy Horse’ after a brutal rugby tackle on Newcastle United winger Albert Bennett. Oh his quality, Thompson said:

“Emlyn took over and he was a great leader, demanding by the way he played and with his passion. When Tommy passed, I put something on Liverpool’s greatest ever captain, people were berating me saying ‘what about Emlyn’ I wasn’t decrying Emlyn but I was asked as my greatest ever captain because of those great memories, Tommy was a proper leader.”

Terry Butcher

England “Colossus”

Finally, Thompson named someone who played for England, as opposed to Liverpool. Terry Butcher – one of Britain’s strongest footballers – played alongside the central defender seven times for the Three Lions, and when Stelling brought up the name as being among the hardest players of the era, Thompson agreed:

“Absolutely, he had it in him [being a leader] and I could see this young player who was developing with this young Ipswich side, him and Russell Osman playing sort of centre-backs. But you had this guy who was like 6’4 who was a colossus and who quite quickly came into the team.”