Ray Clemence died earlier this month at the age of 72; Liverpool pay tribute to former goalkeeper ahead of Sunday's match against Leicester; Alisson, Adrian and Caoimhin Kelleher help to lay a wreath in front of The Kop at Anfield
Sunday 22 November 2020 19:21, UK
Liverpool have paid tribute to club legend Ray Clemence ahead of their Premier League match against Leicester.
Former England goalkeeper Clemence, who made 665 appearances for Liverpool during a 14-year spell at the club, died earlier this month at the age of 72.
Liverpool used Sunday's match at Anfield to honour Clemence, with current goalkeepers, Alisson, Adrian and Caoimhin Kelleher, helping to lay a wreath in front of The Kop ahead of kick-off.
The group then held a minute's silence alongside goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, with Alisson wearing a replica of Clemence's shirt from the 1981 European Cup final, which he later placed next to the wreath.
Both sets of players and staff also held a minute's applause ahead of kick-off to honour Clemence, who won three European Cups and five First Division titles during his trophy-laden career at Liverpool.
Speaking earlier this month, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Clemence as an "extraordinary player and a wonderful person".
"We should never forget it is great players who make great teams and clubs. You only need to listen to the legends of LFC from his era to understand his significance," said Klopp.
"They say it better than I ever could; that Ray Clemence is one of the reasons our club is such a special one all these years later. He was one of the foundation stones that so much of this club's success was built on.
"Our feeling in this moment is of course overwhelmingly sadness, but it is also appreciation. Our fans will remember with fondness an extraordinary player and a wonderful person who contributed so much to Liverpool Football Club.
"He and his loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers. You'll Never Walk Alone."
Clemence began his career at Scunthorpe United in 1966 where he made 46 appearances for the Third Division club, before Liverpool manager Bill Shankly bought the 18-year-old for £18,000 in June 1967.
The young goalkeeper had to bide his time in the reserves before replacing Tommy Lawrence on a permanent basis during the 1969-70 campaign.
Clemence went on to win five league titles, three European Cups, two UEFA Cups, the European Super Cup, FA Cup and League Cup at Anfield.
He played 336 games without missing a single match from September 1972 until March 1978 while only two players have made more first-team appearances for the club - Ian Callaghan and Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool's 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup final at the Parc des Princes turned out to be Clemence's last game for the Reds before he joined Tottenham for £300,000.
He made his league debut for Spurs against Middlesbrough in August 1981 and went on to play over 300 times for the London club.
Injury forced Clemence to forfeit his place in the side for the 1984 UEFA Cup final win over Anderlecht, but he was on the bench in a match famously won when Tony Parks saved twice during the penalty shoot-out.
He reached a fifth FA Cup final in 1987 when Spurs lost to Coventry and became one of a select group of players to appear in five or more FA Cup finals.
An Achilles injury sustained against Norwich in October 1987 forced Clemence to retire from playing in 1988. He later joined the coaching staff at Tottenham and England as well as managing Barnet between 1994 and 1996.
