I told Liverpool’s most successful manager to F-off and got biggest rollicking’

Bob Paisley gave his Liverpool captain a severe reprimand after a loss to Aston Villa (Image: Getty Images).

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson reminisced about the “biggest rollicking” he ever received, which came from his former manager Bob Paisley.

Thompson, who won seven league titles, three European Cups, one FA Cup, three League Cups, and two UEFA Cups during his remarkable career at Anfield in the 1970s and early 80s, started as a fan in The Kop before achieving his dreams.

However, there was one match against Aston Villa in the 1978/79 season at Villa Park where Thompson, now 71, was warned that he might lose the captaincy by the iconic Reds boss.

Thompson had scored an own goal in a rare defeat for Liverpool that season, which was one of only four losses they experienced on their way to securing the title. Villa took a 1-0 lead through Allan Evans, and then Thompson’s own goal doubled the hosts’ advantage. Even though David Johnson pulled one back, John Deehan sealed a 3-1 win for Villa late in the match.

Afterward, Thompson entered the dressing room where Paisley angrily confronted him. Despite the reprimand, Thompson pushed back. “My greatest rollicking? [It was] off Bob Paisley at Aston Villa,” Thompson recalled.

“I sliced an own goal past Ray Clemence, and he came in the dressing room after the game – we’d won the league and only conceded 16 goals all season.

“And I sliced one past Ray Clemence at Villa Park, and after the game, he came in the dressing room and said, ‘Is the captaincy too much for you, is it getting to you?’

“And I said ‘you can f-off,’ and he replied, ‘what do you mean f-off?’ All the players were in stitches. We’d been beaten 3-1, and oh my God, that was probably the biggest rollicking I’d ever had.”

Despite Thompson’s perception, Liverpool didn’t clinch the league title until their return match against Villa the following month, where they triumphed 3-0.

Thompson also shared that his proudest career moment was lifting the European Cup in 1981 against Real Madrid – marking his third victory in the prestigious competition.