Ian Robert Callaghan (born 10 April 1942) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He holds the record for most appearances for LiverpoolUnited Kingdom list: and the FA Cup.https://www.lfchistory.net/articles/article/3056#:~:text=Cally%20holds%20the%20record%20for,Cup%20on%2030th%20September%201969 . In addition, he is one of the few players to have made over 1,000 career appearances (the first English to achieve the feat, since the time matches are recorded).
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1975 New Year Honours.
Callaghan along with Bobby Charlton are the only English footballers to have won the World Cup, European Cup and been awarded Player of the Year.
Club career Liverpool Callaghan played 857 times for Liverpool between 1960 and 1978, breaking into the first team just after the appointment of Bill Shankly as Liverpool manager. He made his debut on 16 April 1960 at Anfield in a 4–0 victory over Bristol Rovers. He was a regular member of the first team by the time Liverpool won promotion to the First Division in 1962, and went on to help them win the league title in 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976 and 1977, as well as the 1965 and 1974 FA Cup finals, the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976, and the European Cup in 1977 and as an unused substitute in 1978 final. He was voted FWA Footballer of the Year in 1974. He was booked only once in his career, in the 1978 League Cup final replay at Old Trafford, which Liverpool lost to Nottingham Forest.
Callaghan played in the 1977 European Cup final, when Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1, but in the 1978 season, which proved to be his last year at the club, his playing time was reduced as younger additions like Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish established themselves at the club. Callaghan was on the substitutes' bench when Liverpool retained the European Cup against Club Brugge in 1978.
Later career Callaghan left Liverpool shortly after the 1978 European Cup final and signed for Swansea City, managed by former Liverpool striker John Toshack. He helped Swansea win a second successive promotion in 1979, which took them into the Second Division, and also had brief spells playing in the United States, Australia and Ireland towards the end of his career. He spent the final season of his career in the Fourth Division with Crewe Alexandra, making 15 appearances in the 1981–82 season and retiring as a player in his 40th year.
International career Of Irish descent, Callaghan played four times at senior level for England. Although he was in the squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he did not play in the final so did not receive a medal. He did play in the group-stage match against France, assisting Roger Hunt's second goal in the 2–0 win on 20 July 1966, one of three wingers tried before manager Alf Ramsey decided to go with a team with no wingers. Following a Football Association-led campaign to persuade FIFA to award medals to all the winners' squad members, Callaghan was presented with his medal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street on 10 June 2009.
After that 1966 match against France, Callaghan's next England appearance, his third, came against Switzerland on 7 September 1977, aged 35. This gap of 11 years 49 days between appearances is the longest such interval for any England player.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLiverpool1959–60Second Division400000–401960–61Second Division30002010601961–62Second Division2315000102911962–63First Division3726000–4321963–64First Division4285000–4781964–65First Division376810010155*81965–66First Division425100010053*51966–67First Division40440006150*51967–68First Division4139021635871968–69First Division42841312051101969–70First Division4136020425351970–71First Division2305010503401971–72First Division41230305052*21972–73First Division42340811206641973–74First Division4209063406131974–75First Division41120305151*21975–76First Division40320301215741976–77First Division33150218048*21977–78First Division26010707141*1Total64050792427981085969Fort Lauderdale Strikers1978NASL200—–—200Swansea City1978–79Third Division4004010—4501979–80Second Division3613030—421Total761704000871Canberra City (loan)1979NSL90———90Cork United1980–81LOI20———20Crewe Alexandra1981–82Fourth Division15020——170Career total76251882467981099470
* Includes one appearance in the FA Charity Shield
^ Includes one goal in the FA Charity Shield
International Source:
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsEngland196620196700196800196900197000197100197200197300197400197500197600197720Total40
Honours Liverpool Football League First Division: 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77 Football League Second Division: 1961–62 FA Cup: 1964–65, 1973–74; runner-up: 1970–71, 1976–77 FA Charity Shield: 1964 (shared), 1965 (shared), 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977 European Cup: 1976–77, 1977–78 UEFA Cup: 1972–73, 1975–76 European Super Cup: 1977
England FIFA World Cup: 1966
See also List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
References
External links
Profile at the Liverpool F.C. website
Player profile at LFChistory.net Football heroes at sporting-heroes.net Thisisanfield.com Forgotten Heroes The Ian Callaghan interview at LFChistory.net Ian Callaghan interview at Liverpoolway.co.uk Ian Callaghan at Aussie Footballers