Jan Molby

Jan Molby, more commonly known to Liverpool fans as Big Jan or the Great Dane, is widely regarded as the finest passer of a football to ever pull on the red shirt.

Despite spending most of his Anfield career in the centre circle, his vision and technique more than made up for his lack of mobility and negligible turning circle. In his 12 years with Liverpool he split defences for fun on his way to making 292 appearances and notching 60 goals.

The masterful midfielder was always quick to make his mark. Captain of his hometown club Kolding IF at the tender age of 19, he was soon snapped up by Ajax and helped a team featuring legends such as Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten to the Dutch Championship in 1983.

Joe Fagan gave him a 10-day trial in August 1984 in the wake of Graeme Souness leaving Liverpool and a £225,000 deal was soon struck to make the move permanent. It only took minutes for Big Jan to make an impact on his debut. Lining up for the Reds against Norwich at Carrow Road on August 25, he lofted the ball into the opposition penalty area with his first touch of the game only for Steve Bruce - himself a Canaries debutant - to slot the ball into his own net.

Molby was so often the star of the show during the double-winning season of 1985-86, with 21 goals in 58 matches. In a tactical ploy devised by player-manager Kenny Dalglish, the Dane was often employed as a third central defender early on in a match before pushing further forward alongside Steve McMahon in midfield as the game progressed.

As well as the odd wonder-strike, Molby was also a consummate scorer of penalties: 42 of his Liverpool goals were from the spot and he only missed three others for the club. The Great Dane has the rare record of scoring a penalty hat-trick, a feat achieved in November 1986 against Coventry in the League Cup.

Jan was released by Liverpool in February 1996 to allow him to take up his position as player manager of Swansea. He nearly directed them to promotion only to fall to a twice taken free kick in injury time of play offs. After being sacked by Swansea and a short career in punditry, Jan took over the manager’s job at Kidderminster Harriers in April 1999. Two seasons of decent Division Three form followed, before overtures from Hull City prompted Molby's departure for Humberside. His tenure was brief however, as internal strife cast a shadow over his brief term in charge. A return to Kidderminster in October 2003 was unsuccessful, ending with his resignation a year later.

Listening to a Dane with a Scouse accent coupled with interesting stories from those glory days at Liverpool make Jan Molby one of the most sought after dinner speakers on the circuit. To book Jan Molby for your next event, please call a Prime Performers Booking Agent on 020 3500 3331 or email info@primeperformers.co.uk