Bob Paisley hammered his Liverpool captain after a defeat to Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool icon Phil Thompson recalled the ‘biggest rollicking’ of his career came from his former Reds boss Bob Paisley.
Thompson won seven league titles, three European Cups, one FA Cup, three League Cups and two UEFA Cups during his illustrious spell at Anfield in the 70s and early 80s. The stalwart defender went from standing in The Kop as a boy to making his dreams come true.
However, there was one game against Aston Villa in the 1978/79 season at Villa Park where Thompson, who turned 71 last week, was threatened to have the captaincy taken off him by the Reds’ iconic boss.
Thompson had put through his own goal in one of only four defeats that Liverpool suffered that season on their way to winning the title. Villa had gone 1-0 up via Allan Evans before the former Sky Sports pundit’s own goal doubled the hosts’ advantage. Despite David Johnson halving the deficit, John Deehan sealed the 3-1 win late on.
After the game, Thompson returned to the dressing room where he was hammered by Paisley, even retaliating to his boss’ scolding. “My greatest rollicking? [It was] off Bob Paisley at Aston Villa,” Thompson said.
Phil Thompson recalled the ‘biggest rollicking’ of his career(Image: Getty Images)
“I sliced an own goal past Ray Clemence and he came in the dressing room after the game – we’ve won the league and only conceded 16 goals all season.
“And I sliced one past Ray Clements at Villa Park and after the game, he’s in the dressing room and he went, ‘is the captaincy too much for you, is it getting to you?’
“And I said ‘you can f-off’ and he went ‘what’d you mean f-off’ and all the players were killing themselves laughing. We’ve been beaten 3-1, oh my god, that was probably the biggest rollicking that I’d ever had.”
Despite Thompson’s belief, Liverpool didn’t secure the league title until the return match against Villa the following month as the Reds won 3-0.
Thompson added that his greatest moment in his career was lifting the European Cup in 1981 against Real Madrid – the third time he’d won the trophy.
