Bob Paisley may have been a reluctant successor to Liverpool’s top job, but his exploits are legendary, as are his words.
Paisley’s name will forever remain synonymous with Liverpool Football Club, which has faithfully served the club for more than 44 years.
A player, a physiotherapist, a reserve team coach, a first team coach, an assistant coach and, finally, himself in the hot seat. Paisley did it all, even later adding the director to his list of titles.
The great man has won six First Division titles, three European Champions Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, three League Cups and six Charity Shield titles in nine seasons as a coach.
A humble genius, and when he spoke, you listened. Here are 10 of his best quotes.
If ever there was a quote describing Paisley as a person, then this is the one:
“This club was my life. I would go out and sweep the street and be proud to have done it for Liverpool if I was asked.”
And as a coach, he wanted the young player to be ready to talk to high-ranking figures on the field, but to respect their position outside the game:
“The guy I’m looking for is the guy who will smash Kevin Keegan in training and then walk away from him in the hallway.”
We’ve all seen this, and it’s no wonder he’s stood the test of time, he’s on top:
“If you are in the penalty area and are not quite sure what to do with the ball, put it in the net, and then we will discuss your options!”
It may be easy to serve, but that’s the point…
“It’s not about the long ball or the short ball, it’s about the right ball.”
You can’t avoid the lows, and Paisley had some wise words about it that we should all remember…
“One of the things I keep reminding the players is that when you get lost in the fog, you have to stick together. Then you won’t be lost.
“If there’s a secret about Liverpool, it’s him.”
As for his view of Liverpool fans, he will always remain true:
“All my life they wanted honesty. They were not interested in cultural football, but in triers who gave their best one hundred percent.”
This is sure to bring a smile to your face…
“I’ve been here in bad times — once we took second place.”
He really didn’t ask for much, did he? Anyway, he was modest…
“I said that when I take it upon myself, I’ll settle for a drop of Bell’s once a month, a big bottle at the end of the season and a trip around the city in an open-top bus!”
The boot room is synonymous with the club, and Paisley was one of the founders, you can feel how much it meant to him…
“We have a wonderful behind-the-scenes team at Anfield, which distributes the load perfectly. No club has a more capable and cohesive team than ours.
The Anfield boots have become legendary, and every Sunday morning, in a leisurely atmosphere, we have a full and frank exchange of opinions. It’s like visiting the locals.”
From player to manager and finally director, Paisley experienced it all, and while he may not have been rich in a monetary sense, he was rich where it mattered most.
Therefore, it is appropriate to end on this note…
“Other people earned more in football than I did, but no one enjoyed it as much as I did.”
