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At number 72 in our ’100 Players Who Shook The Kop’ countdown is long-serving defender of Liverpool’s early days, Ephraim Longworth.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.
Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.
Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.
Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.
Name: Ephraim Longworth
Years at Liverpool: 1910 to 1928
Position: Full-back
Date-of-birth: 2/10/1887
Birthplace: Halliwell, near Bolton
Signed from: Leyton (June 1910)
Games: 371
Goals: 0
Honours: First Division Championship (1921/22, 1922/23)
Ephraim Longworth was one of the dominant and influential figures of Liverpool's early history and the first Anfield player to captain England, a notable achievement for which he'll forever be remembered. Described as 'a prince among full-backs', he was one of the most consistent defenders Liverpool have ever had on their books and his Reds career, from start to finish, covered a remarkable 18 years. During this time he captained the club with distinction and won two Championship medals. Halliwell-born, he joined the club for a substantial fee in 1910 following spells with Bolton and Leyton. His signing was the last made by secretary/manager Tom Watson but it was certainly one of his most inspired. With a lock of hair hanging over his forehead, Longworth was an instantly recognisable figure, whose composed style of play meant that his position at right-back was rarely threatened during his early years on Merseyside. He played in the FA Cup final against Burnley in 1914 and would continue to be a key member of the team for several seasons after the war, a rich period that saw the Reds memorably clinch back-to-back League titles in 1921 and 1922. Renowned as a superb kicker with either foot, Longworth made a total of 371 appearances for Liverpool but famously never scored a goal. He also won five England caps, skippering them against Belgium in 1921. In 1928 he finally brought the curtain down on his lengthy Liverpool career but stayed on at the club for a long while afterwards, first as a faithful member of the back-room team and then on the Anfield ground staff.
Sold to: Retired (May 1928)
Claim to fame: Being the first Liverpool player to captain England
Did you know? In 371 first team appearances for the Reds he failed to score a single goal
Where is he now? Passed away on 7 January 1968
Stephen Done on Ephraim Longworth: "If you go into the museum at the moment there's a piece of film with a groundsman on a misty day and he tells a story about spreading the ashes of one of our supporters in front of the goal and he says 'you don't want to put them there, he may jump up and stop the ball going in'. That is Ephraim Longworth. He served the club from just after the first world war up to the late Sixties."
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