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On Tuesday, Liverpool installed a time capsule at the newly opened AXA Training Center in Kirkby to commemorate the beginning of a new era for the club after more than 70 years at Melwood.
The steel box, placed outside the visitor’s entrance to the facility, will open in 50 years and contains a special collection of items that will provide a unique window into the past for future generations, “capturing the club’s rich history and references to people who have made the club what it is today ”.
Among the items within the capsule are a pair of iconic Jürgen Klopp glasses, a signed pair of Virgil van Dijk boots, a signed Alisson Becker pair of goalkeeper gloves, a signed image of Kenny Dalglish with a personal tribute to Melwood, a 2018/19 New Balance Jersey signed by the team that won the Champions League, video footage of Liverpool becoming 2019/20 Premier League champion, and much more (listed in full here).
So, following that theme, and because it’s an international hiatus, we thought we’d produce our own time capsules on Liverpool.com with a little twist. Since our versions will (obviously) be in written form, they don’t have to be material objects, so our writers will select one thing from the following five categories to go to their own personal Liverpool time capsule: a game, a goal, a player, a moment and a wild card element. They can be from any time in your life, to look back 50 years from now. Joel Rabinowitz opened with their picks on Wednesday, while Dan Morgan and Ollie Connolly also made their picks.
And finally: Mark Wakefield
My game
Is one of the great games under Klopp, but somehow goes unnoticed given recent achievements. The quarterfinals of the Europa League against Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
For just over three years, he was ranked as one of, if not the biggest European comeback at Anfield, which is an impressive statement. Then Barcelona came and took that title, but the April night against Klopp’s old club will always stay with me.
There is also a personal element to this game, I was actually there in the middle of the upper level at the end of Anfield Road. That may not sound like a big statement to the frequent fan, but for someone who hasn’t been able to watch Liverpool live as often as I’d like, this game was a big deal.
(Image: John Powell / Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
It was also an opportunity for me to see one of my favorite players who did not play for Liverpool live: Marco Reus. When he scored to make Dortmund 3-1, I thought at least i’ve seen him at his best.
Then those last 30 minutes passed, and I will probably never experience anything like this again in any football stadium. First it was 3-2, then 3-3, and then came a delicious cross from James Milner for Dejan Lovren to head into goal to make it 4-3. Since I was at the other end of the stadium, and the noise that followed was so loud that I couldn’t hear George Sephton’s announcement, I didn’t know who scored the winning goal until I got off the ground.
What a night!
My goal
Again, I’m going with one that is personal to me as I was there to witness it, even though I was quite young and struggled to see more than just the bottom of the net come to life, given that I was on the last row of the net. Kop. Steven Gerrard volley against Middlesbrough in April 2005.
Was it a goal that meant a lot in the grand scheme of things? Probably not. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and Liverpool would finish three points out of the top four, but qualified for the Champions League the following season thanks to winning the trophy in Istanbul a month later.
(Image: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)
Back to my goal. It was a beautiful cross pass from John Arne Riise to find Gerrard, whose first touch wasn’t the best, but his next was, to say the least. Putting the ball under his spell, he volleyed it leading to a curved shot from 25 yards that flew into the top corner and beat goalie Brad Jones with ease.
Whenever the topic of Gerrard’s best goal comes up, several are mentioned. Olympiacos, AC Milan, West Ham, there is an endless list. But for me, this one will always surpass them, just because of the great quality of the shot and the added bonus of being able to watch it live.
My player
Almost everyone has gone with Gerrard, and I cannot deny that he is the best player I have seen in the Liverpool jersey. But for me, as someone who grew up dreaming of the club winning the Premier League, it has to be Jordan Henderson.
He will always be the captain who returns the league title to Anfield for the first time in 30 years, and that is something he will always be remembered for. Yes, you could argue that Gerrard was a better player, Henderson himself would probably agree, but this is more than just who kicks a ball better than the other.
It is about being everything a Liverpool player represents, from a role model for the rest of the players, as well as being an integral leader. Henderson has this in abundance, and there is no denying that he is a club legend and always will be.
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My moment
It is time for you to choose a more obvious option. I’ve never celebrated a goal more than when Divock Origi buried his shot in Madrid, especially after the nervous 87 minutes that preceded it.
At the time of the match, he was not in Madrid or Liverpool. I was in Derby at the local Walkabout bar to watch the game with my best friend who supports the Spurs. We are still friends now, don’t worry!
The game itself is one of the worst I’ve ever seen in terms of quality, which was the three-week hiatus that strongly impacted both sides. Mohamed Salah’s penalty in the opening minutes, I thought, would ease my nerves. But it wasn’t like that, it made them worse. For the first time in my life, Liverpool took the lead in a European Cup final. We had something to lose and the game went like this.
I almost applauded more when Van Dijk stopped Son Heung-Min from charging through the defense than either goal, but when Origi hit the ball home, I never felt an adrenaline rush like that. The pressure was off, Liverpool were actually going to win a major trophy. None of it seemed real, and to this day a part of me still feels that way.
(Image: John Powell / Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
My wildcard element
Liverpool are a very emotional club and anything remotely connected can affect a fan. For me, that’s the club anthem ‘You will never walk alone’.
Every time I hear that at full volume, whether it’s at Anfield before a game or when I hear it on my phone, it never fails to make me cry and send shivers down my spine. Despite being released 30 years before I was born, it is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
As a result, an audio recording of this song that is playing at Anfield before a big Champions League game reaches my time capsule. Anyone who doesn’t get goose bumps hearing that needs a rethink.
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