As a footballer, Olympic gold is just not sometimes on the highest of many hopes and desires lists, however Liverpool have had two gamers stand on the highest step throughout their time as a Crimson.
The title ‘Olympian’ is for under the choose few within the sporting world, and people who depart with a medal are of an excellent rarer breed.
The truth that Liverpool have had simply two gamers go on to win Olympic gold for the reason that membership’s inception in 1892 attests to only that – they usually had been separated by 100 years!
One title shall be extra acquainted to you than the opposite. Javier Mascherano arrived at Liverpool in 2007 with a gold medal to his title from 2004, a title he defended in Beijing in 2008.
That very same Olympic 12 months noticed Lucas Leiva safe a bronze medal for Brazil.
Mascherano’s title defence noticed him develop into the primary male soccer to realize back-to-back gold medals since Hungarian defender Dezso Novak in 1968.
And his success with Argentina noticed him be a part of Arthur Berry as the one different gold medal winner whereas on Liverpool’s books – Berry achieved the feat first, although, in 1908.
Extremely, Berry additionally defended his gold medal having received with Nice Britain within the 1908 London Video games after which once more in 1912 in Stockholm – defeating Denmark within the closing on each events.
The fitting winger was 20 when he received his first Olympic title and would solely play 4 video games for Liverpool throughout three seasons.
#OnThisDay in 1908, England received gold on the @Olympics in London after beating Denmark 2-0 within the gold medal match?
FIFA oversees the Olympic males’s and girls’s soccer tournaments each 4 years, with the following version happening in France in 2024. pic.twitter.com/Fsoom0irBU
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) October 24, 2023
His father was Edwin Berry, who was Liverpool’s Chairman from 1904 to 1909. Arthur retired in 1914 – nonetheless simply 26 – and served as Adjutant of the Lancashire Fusiliers throughout WWI earlier than becoming a member of the household legislation agency.
It’s protected to say, then, that Mascherano and Berry’s careers had completely different trajectories following their Olympic success, with the Argentine solely retiring aged 36 earlier than happening to develop into a coach.
Though not a Liverpool participant on the time of his success, it’s value noting that Joe Dines was additionally a member of the Nice Britain facet to win gold in 1912 – he turned a Crimson later that summer time.
That exact Olympic 12 months is important because it was the final collection of medals to be made from strong gold – which means Berry picked up two very beneficial gold medals.
With the trendy period immune to Olympic call-ups, it’s exhausting to see a Liverpool participant becoming a member of Mascherano and Berry any time quickly – will we have now to attend one other 100 years?
