Whenever Kopites supporters hear the name Gerry Byrne, they think of a courageous left-back that symbolised the true grit and determination of Bill Shankly's 1960s Liverpool side.
However history may have been different for the local-born defender had the Glenbuck-born boss not intervened.
Despite signing professional forms in 1955 after a two-year spell at schoolboy level, the 17-year-old found his chances at Anfield highly restricted under manager Don Welsh and Phil Taylor after him.
"I wasn't getting anywhere and I asked to go on the transfer list," admits Byrne, now 71.
During the visionary Scot's tenure, 18 Liverpool players gained international recognition for their country and Byrne was one of them - earning two England caps and was a part of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad.
However it was a rainy Saturday afternoon in May 1965 that has been considered his finest hour in the game by Reds supporters the world over as he demonstrated real courage as he played through an entire FA Cup final with a broken collarbone following a crunching tackle by Leeds United captain Bobby Collins.
"Bobby was only tiny," he recalls.
"He went over the ball and took out my shoulder. It would probably have got a red card today but there was no cards given for the foul.
"I didn't know what I'd done but I made the mistake of taking a throw in and couldn't raise my right arm."
Shankly's unexplained yet notorious dislike for injuries extended to the final and was kept away from Byrne as he received makeshift treatment from physio Bob Paisley.
He said: "Shanks didn't like injuries so we didn't see a doctor at half time.
"All Bob did was put a bit of cotton wool and a plaster on and then we went to the hospital after the final match.
"When somebody got injured he'd look from a distance. He wouldn't acknowledge you face-to-face.
"He wouldn't even look at me at the cup final when I broke my collarbone even though I laid off the first goal for Roger Hunt after it happened."
Four days on from the win over Don Revie's young and upcoming side, the Reds marched on in Europe to face Inter Milan in the first leg of their European Cup semi final.
Byrne, his arm now in a sling, and fellow Liverpool casualty Gordon Milne paraded the newly-won trophy in a pre-match lap of honour which almost took the roof off the famous old ground when the pair walked across the front of the Kop.
Despite seeing his name go down in Anfield folklore at Wembley, Byrne insists that his finest hour was in December 1964 when a Roger Hunt goal gave the Reds an away win in the European Cup against Anderlecht; a game after which Shanks gave him high praise.
"I had a great game and Bill Shankly said "that's the best defensive player I've ever seen," he said.
Byrne believes that he owes all his success in the game to Shanks after he refused to sell the frustrated full-back and took him off the transfer list shortly after his arrival.
He added: "I would probably have done well somewhere else but I was delighted when he took me off the list and put me in the team and that was it."
"I wasn't going anywhere under Don Welsh or Phil Taylor so I owe it all to Shanks."
