Phil Thompson
Encyclopedia
Philip Bernard Thompson (born 21 January 1954 in Kensington
, Liverpool
) is a retired English
footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool
team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team
on 42 occasions. After retiring as a player, he later served Liverpool as assistant manager and, during the 2001–02 season, acted as caretaker for 6 months while manager Gérard Houllier
was ill. He is currently a pundit on Soccer Saturday
on Sky Sports
and is a regular Visiting Fellow at the University of Liverpool
where he teaches on their Football Industries MBA.
at Old Trafford. With the Reds 2–0 up in the 81st minute Shankly took off John Toshack
, replacing him with the 18 year-old defender. The move was intended to tighten up the defence and keep a clean-sheet, but three minutes later, Emlyn Hughes
popped up with a third for Liverpool, with the game ending this way. In 1973, Liverpool won a double haul of trophies—the League championship and UEFA Cup and Thompson played a role in both successes earning league and UEFA Cup medals in the process. The next season led to him displacing Larry Lloyd
from the side altogether and pushed Tommy Smith
across to full back, and he settled into a defensive partnership with club captain Hughes.
Thompson man-marked Malcolm Macdonald
out of the game as Liverpool beat Newcastle United
3–0 in the 1974 FA Cup Final
, this after MacDonald had boasted what he was going to do to the Reds in the game. He remained a major part of the team which, again, won the League and UEFA Cup double in 1976.
1976 was also the year in which he was called up to play for England
for the first time, his debut coming on the 24 March in a 2–1 win over Wales
in a friendly at the Racecourse Ground
at Wrexham
. During a summer mini-tournament held in the United States on the 28 May 1976, Thompson scored his one and only goal for England in a friendly match against Italy
in New York.
Liverpool's most productive season followed in 1977, but Thompson was to unluckily miss out. Although he played enough games to guarantee a medal when Liverpool retained the title, he suffered an injury which denied him a role in the exciting charge towards a unique treble, as Liverpool limped into the finals of both the FA Cup and European Cup
. The veteran Smith took Thompson's place; while Liverpool lost the 1977 FA Cup Final
to Manchester United
, they won their first European Cup a few days later in Rome
by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach
.
Thompson recovered from his injury and returned to the defence the following season, scoring a goal in Liverpool's victory over Kevin Keegan's Hamburg in the 1977 UEFA Super Cup
final. Liverpool reached their first League Cup
final at Wembley (a competition which they had previously not taken seriously) and after a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest
, the game went to a replay. It was a disappointing evening for Thompson, who committed the foul on Forest centre forward John O'Hare
that led to the penalty that won the game for Brian Clough
's men. Thompson no doubt counts himself a little unlucky - although he did commit the foul, replays appeared to show that it took place outside the penalty area. Liverpool also surrendered the League title to Forest, but managed to retain the European Cup with a win over FC Bruges, a game in which Thompson this time played.
Thompson was accompanied by a new central defensive partner in Alan Hansen
as Liverpool regained the title in 1979. When Hughes left the club for Wolves
late in 1979, Thompson was appointed as captain and managed to lifted the League trophy in 1980. He continued to play frequently for England and was in the squad which qualified for a major tournament's finals for the first time in a decade, though England's performances at the 1980 European Championships
in Italy were disappointing.
Thompson's proudest moment as Liverpool skipper came in 1981 when he lifted the European Cup after a 1–0 victory over Real Madrid
in the Paris
final—the club's third success in the competition. Thompson also stepped up to receive the League Cup
after a replay win against West Ham United
, the club's first of four consecutive successes in the competition.
Bob Paisley
upset Thompson the following season when he decided to hand the captaincy to Graeme Souness
(who himself became an Anfield legend), though Thompson continued to play regularly in defence, winning further title medals in 1982 and 1983. He was in the team which retained the League Cup in 1982, but missed the victory in the 1983 final due to injury.
From 1984, Thompson's opportunities as a Liverpool player were diminishing, with Hansen now being paired with the younger Mark Lawrenson
. Liverpool won the title, League Cup and European Cup in this year, but Thompson did not qualify for a medal in any of these successes.
but couldn't settle, so he quit playing at the comparatively early age of 31 and was recruited by new Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish
as a coach.
, on 15 April 1989 at the beginning of the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest
. The tragedy claimed 94 lives on the day, with the final death toll reaching 96. An abiding image of Thompson the coach came in the 1989 FA Cup final against Merseyside
rivals Everton
when a last minute chance for Everton to equalise went awry, and the camera caught Thompson, sweating in his suit and tie, sitting on the Wembley bench while shaking his fists in relief, delight and anticipation. Sadly for him, Everton did equalise moments later and forced extra-time, though Liverpool did eventually win.
When Souness, the man who replaced Thompson as captain, came back to the club as Dalglish's replacement in early 1991, Thompson was kept on. Thompson was sacked by Souness in 1992 for allegedly talking to Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and his assistant about issues at the club involving Souness. Word had got back to Souness via his connections at Rangers. It was agreed by both the club and Thompson that details of what happened would not be disclosed.
Thompson claimed in his book that Souness believed Thompson was interested in his job as manager while Souness recovered from bypass surgery in the spring of 1992.
In late 1993, Phil was widely linked with the manager vacancy at Nagoya Grampus Eight
where he would get the opportunity to work with former England player Gary Lineker
who - at the time, was playing for the club.
He earned a living through speaking and punditry until Gérard Houllier
became Liverpool manager in 1998 and, needing a bonafide Liverpool man by his side following the departure of Roy Evans
, asked Thompson to return to his old role, which Thompson accepted. This second stint was eventful - a spat between Thompson and striker Robbie Fowler
led to the sale of the popular centre forward to Leeds United; and Thompson spent several months in sole charge of the team (with some success) when Houllier underwent emergency heart surgery.
During his time as assistant manager of Liverpool the Reds returned to winning ways as they completed a unique 'treble' of UEFA Cup
, FA Cup
and League Cup
in 2001.
When Houllier was relieved of his duties in 2004, Thompson also left the club. He is now back on the punditry circuit, regularly working for Sky Sports.
In September 2010, Gerard Houllier
was appointed manager of Aston Villa
and this led to Houllier offering him the role of assistant manager at the midlands club. However, Thompson rejected the offer as he felt he could not commit himself to the role due to the long journey to work, the inevitably large number of scouting missions and his unwillingness to uproot his family or live away from them.
Individual
Kensington, Liverpool
Kensington is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. It is located immediately to the east of Liverpool city centre, and is bordered by Everton to the north, Fairfield to the east and Edge Hill to the south....
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
) is a retired English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 42 occasions. After retiring as a player, he later served Liverpool as assistant manager and, during the 2001–02 season, acted as caretaker for 6 months while manager Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
was ill. He is currently a pundit on Soccer Saturday
Soccer Saturday
Gillette Soccer Saturday is a weekly television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the football season. The programme updates viewers on the progress of association football games in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday afternoons. The current host is...
on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and is a regular Visiting Fellow at the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
where he teaches on their Football Industries MBA.
Liverpool
Thompson was a Liverpool supporter, who stood on The Kop as a boy. His dreams came true when he signed as a professional for the club on 22 January 1971, the day after his 17th birthday, and made his first team debut the following year against rivals Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford. With the Reds 2–0 up in the 81st minute Shankly took off John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
, replacing him with the 18 year-old defender. The move was intended to tighten up the defence and keep a clean-sheet, but three minutes later, Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
popped up with a third for Liverpool, with the game ending this way. In 1973, Liverpool won a double haul of trophies—the League championship and UEFA Cup and Thompson played a role in both successes earning league and UEFA Cup medals in the process. The next season led to him displacing Larry Lloyd
Larry Lloyd
Laurence Valentine Lloyd was a footballer, a burly and tough central defender who won honours for both Bill Shankly's Liverpool and Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s....
from the side altogether and pushed Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
across to full back, and he settled into a defensive partnership with club captain Hughes.
Thompson man-marked Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
out of the game as Liverpool beat Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
3–0 in the 1974 FA Cup Final
1974 FA Cup Final
The 1974 FA Cup Final was contested by Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley. In a one-sided match Liverpool won 3–0, with goals from Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway...
, this after MacDonald had boasted what he was going to do to the Reds in the game. He remained a major part of the team which, again, won the League and UEFA Cup double in 1976.
1976 was also the year in which he was called up to play for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
for the first time, his debut coming on the 24 March in a 2–1 win over Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in a friendly at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
at Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. During a summer mini-tournament held in the United States on the 28 May 1976, Thompson scored his one and only goal for England in a friendly match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in New York.
Liverpool's most productive season followed in 1977, but Thompson was to unluckily miss out. Although he played enough games to guarantee a medal when Liverpool retained the title, he suffered an injury which denied him a role in the exciting charge towards a unique treble, as Liverpool limped into the finals of both the FA Cup and European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. The veteran Smith took Thompson's place; while Liverpool lost the 1977 FA Cup Final
1977 FA Cup Final
The 1977 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1976–77 FA Cup, the 96th season of England's premier cup football competition. The match was played on 21 May 1977 at Wembley Stadium, London, and it was contested by Manchester United and Liverpool. United won the game 2–1. All three goals came in a...
to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, they won their first European Cup a few days later in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
.
Thompson recovered from his injury and returned to the defence the following season, scoring a goal in Liverpool's victory over Kevin Keegan's Hamburg in the 1977 UEFA Super Cup
1977 UEFA Super Cup
The 1977 UEFA Super Cup was contested between Liverpool and Hamburg. Liverpool won the two-legged final 7–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-External links:* from UEFA* from RSSSF...
final. Liverpool reached their first League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final at Wembley (a competition which they had previously not taken seriously) and after a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, the game went to a replay. It was a disappointing evening for Thompson, who committed the foul on Forest centre forward John O'Hare
John O'Hare
John O'Hare is a Scottish former footballer. His clubs included Sunderland, Derby County and also Nottingham Forest and was part of their European Cup victory in 1980, coming on as a substitute in the final. He also won thirteen caps for the Scotland national team, scoring five goals.- Career...
that led to the penalty that won the game for Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
's men. Thompson no doubt counts himself a little unlucky - although he did commit the foul, replays appeared to show that it took place outside the penalty area. Liverpool also surrendered the League title to Forest, but managed to retain the European Cup with a win over FC Bruges, a game in which Thompson this time played.
Thompson was accompanied by a new central defensive partner in Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
as Liverpool regained the title in 1979. When Hughes left the club for Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
late in 1979, Thompson was appointed as captain and managed to lifted the League trophy in 1980. He continued to play frequently for England and was in the squad which qualified for a major tournament's finals for the first time in a decade, though England's performances at the 1980 European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
in Italy were disappointing.
Thompson's proudest moment as Liverpool skipper came in 1981 when he lifted the European Cup after a 1–0 victory over Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
final—the club's third success in the competition. Thompson also stepped up to receive the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
after a replay win against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, the club's first of four consecutive successes in the competition.
Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
upset Thompson the following season when he decided to hand the captaincy to Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
(who himself became an Anfield legend), though Thompson continued to play regularly in defence, winning further title medals in 1982 and 1983. He was in the team which retained the League Cup in 1982, but missed the victory in the 1983 final due to injury.
From 1984, Thompson's opportunities as a Liverpool player were diminishing, with Hansen now being paired with the younger Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
. Liverpool won the title, League Cup and European Cup in this year, but Thompson did not qualify for a medal in any of these successes.
Sheffield United
In 1985, he was sold to Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
but couldn't settle, so he quit playing at the comparatively early age of 31 and was recruited by new Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
as a coach.
Off-the-field return to Liverpool
He was with the club in this role for four years, progressing to being Dalglish's right-hand man as the team (still containing, and now captained by, Hansen) won the League in 1988 and 1990 and the FA Cup in 1989. Thompson was working at the club at the time of the Hillsborough disasterHillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
, on 15 April 1989 at the beginning of the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. The tragedy claimed 94 lives on the day, with the final death toll reaching 96. An abiding image of Thompson the coach came in the 1989 FA Cup final against Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
when a last minute chance for Everton to equalise went awry, and the camera caught Thompson, sweating in his suit and tie, sitting on the Wembley bench while shaking his fists in relief, delight and anticipation. Sadly for him, Everton did equalise moments later and forced extra-time, though Liverpool did eventually win.
When Souness, the man who replaced Thompson as captain, came back to the club as Dalglish's replacement in early 1991, Thompson was kept on. Thompson was sacked by Souness in 1992 for allegedly talking to Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and his assistant about issues at the club involving Souness. Word had got back to Souness via his connections at Rangers. It was agreed by both the club and Thompson that details of what happened would not be disclosed.
Thompson claimed in his book that Souness believed Thompson was interested in his job as manager while Souness recovered from bypass surgery in the spring of 1992.
In late 1993, Phil was widely linked with the manager vacancy at Nagoya Grampus Eight
Nagoya Grampus Eight
are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
where he would get the opportunity to work with former England player Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
who - at the time, was playing for the club.
He earned a living through speaking and punditry until Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
became Liverpool manager in 1998 and, needing a bonafide Liverpool man by his side following the departure of Roy Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
, asked Thompson to return to his old role, which Thompson accepted. This second stint was eventful - a spat between Thompson and striker Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
led to the sale of the popular centre forward to Leeds United; and Thompson spent several months in sole charge of the team (with some success) when Houllier underwent emergency heart surgery.
During his time as assistant manager of Liverpool the Reds returned to winning ways as they completed a unique 'treble' of UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
in 2001.
When Houllier was relieved of his duties in 2004, Thompson also left the club. He is now back on the punditry circuit, regularly working for Sky Sports.
In September 2010, Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
was appointed manager of Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and this led to Houllier offering him the role of assistant manager at the midlands club. However, Thompson rejected the offer as he felt he could not commit himself to the role due to the long journey to work, the inevitably large number of scouting missions and his unwillingness to uproot his family or live away from them.
Honours
Liverpool- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
: (7) 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980 ,1982, 1983 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: (1) 19741974 FA Cup FinalThe 1974 FA Cup Final was contested by Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley. In a one-sided match Liverpool won 3–0, with goals from Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway... - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: (2) 19811981 Football League Cup FinalThe 1981 Football League Cup Final was played on Saturday 14 March 1981 at Wembley Stadium between Liverpool and West Ham United, with both clubs appearing in their second League Cup finals....
, 19821982 Football League Cup FinalThe 1982 Milk Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool won the match 3–1 after extra time with goals from Ian Rush and Ronnie Whelan . The match took place on 13 March 1982.-Details:... - FA Charity Shield: (6) 19741974 FA Charity ShieldThe 1974 FA Charity Shield was a football match played on 10 August 1974 between 1973–74 champions Leeds United and 1974 FA Cup Final winners Liverpool...
, 19761976 FA Charity ShieldThe 1976 FA Charity Shield was a football match played between Liverpool, as English First Division Champions in the 1975/76 season, and Southampton, as English FA Cup winners in 1976....
,19771977 FA Charity ShieldThe 1977 FA Charity Shield was the 55th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 13 August 1977 at Wembley Stadium and contested by Liverpool, who had won the 1976–77 First...
, 1979, 19801980 FA Charity ShieldThe 1980 FA Charity Shield was the 58th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match took place on 9 August 1980 at Wembley Stadium and was played between 1979-80 Football League champions...
, 19821982 FA Charity ShieldThe 1982 FA Charity Shield was a football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday the 21 August 1982.Liverpool, managed by Bob Paisley had won the 1981-82 Football League, and Tottenham, managed by Keith Burkinshaw had won the 1982 FA Cup Final for the second season in... - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: (2) 19781978 European Cup FinalThe 1978 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Club Brugge of Belgium on 10 May 1978 at Wembley Stadium, London, England. It was the final match of the 1977–78 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were the reigning...
, 19811981 European Cup FinalThe 1981 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Real Madrid of Spain on 27 May 1981 at the Parc des Princes, Paris, France. It was the final match of the 1980–81 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were appearing in... - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: (2) 19731973 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1973 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played over two-legs between Liverpool F.C. of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of West Germany on 10 May, 1973 and 23 May, 1973 at Anfield, Liverpool and the Bökelbergstadion, Mönchengladbach. It was the final two matches of the 1972–73...
, 19761976 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1976 UEFA Cup Final was played on April 28, 1976 and May 19, 1976 between Liverpool F.C. of England and Club Brugge K.V. of Belgium. Liverpool won 4-3 on aggregate.-First Leg:-Second Leg:-External links:**... - UEFA Super Cup: (1) 19771977 UEFA Super CupThe 1977 UEFA Super Cup was contested between Liverpool and Hamburg. Liverpool won the two-legged final 7–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-External links:* from UEFA* from RSSSF...
Individual
- Manager of the Month: 2
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- 2001, 2002
External links
- Official Liverpool FC profile
- LFChistory.net profile
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, England part 1 at Sporting-heroes.net
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, England part 2 at Sporting-heroes.net
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, England part 3 at Sporting-heroes.net
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, Liverpool part 1 at Sporting-heroes.net
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, Liverpool part 2 at Sporting-heroes.net
- Football heroes Phil Thompson, England appearances at Sporting-heroes
- England profile