Striker Aldridge made his top flight debut with Oxford and gained the first of his 69 Eire caps while with United.

He is one of that still rare breed of footballers to gain a full set of winner's medals for the three major domestic competitions (League Cup with Oxford and League Championship and FA Cup with Liverpool). He is one of only a handful of post-war British players to score over 400 goals in first class football and managed Tranmere to their first ever major Wembley final (2000).

Aldridge in his younger days

John was born in Liverpool and joined United from Newport for a paltry £80,000 in March 1984. He played in Oxford's run-in to the (old) Third Division title in the spring of 1984 and blossomed with the arrival of Irish international Billy Hamilton in the summer of that year. In 1984-85, 'Aldo' became the first (old) Second Division player for 19 years to net 30 league goals in a season and set club Football League records for league goals and total goals in a season (30 and 34).

Aldridge was a sensation in an attack-minded United team which struggled in the top flight. He was the third highest League scorer at a time when Rush and Lineker were at their peaks (with England's two best sides) and netted 31 times for Oxford, 23 coming in league matches. His two goals in the League Cup semi-final first leg away to Aston villa contributed greatly to Oxford's ultimate triumph.

John joined Liverpool in January 1987 and won a championship medal (1988) and an FA Cup winner's medal (1989) prior to becoming a prolific scorer with Real Sociedad. Aldridge has been a major catalyst in Tranmere's greatest years, after joining them in 1990.

He is now a pundit with various media organisations, both on Merseyside and on a national level, and continues to play in the Liverpool veterans' team. In 1998, he asked Hyder Jawad to ghostwrite his autobiography. John Aldridge: My Story was published by Hodder & Stoughton the year after.

John has recently gained media celebrity in Ireland by appearing in RTE's Charity You're A Star competition. Despite not having a natural singing voice, John won the competition and in the process raised money for his nominated charity Temple Street Children's Hospital.

History compiled by Andy Howland