By Chris Rowland.

Another full back – so far we’ve had a centre-half, a goalkeeper and two full backs – the old maxim that success is built on defence certainly seems to hold true in the club’s early successes.

Forming probably the best full-back pairing in the club’s history with Ephraim Longworth at right back, they back-to-back title winners of the early 1920s also had the great Elisha Scott behind them in goal. In 1921/2 Liverpool conceded just 36 goals in their 42 league games, and five fewer the following season.

Another in the long list of Scots who’ve worn the liver bird with distinction, Donald Mackinlay signed for Liverpool F.C. in 1910 from Newton Villa, a local club in Glasgow, and made his debut in April of that year. It was an inspired signing by the legendary Liverpool manager Tom Watson. He ended up having the second-longest career of any Liverpool player (behind Elisha Scott), making 434 appearances in 18 years, his last on September 1st 1928. Just look at the character in that face! You just know he was mentally tough and would take no prisoners.

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