Roger Hunt experienced a hugely successful career at both the club and national team levels with Liverpool FC and England. Hunt spent a portion of his development years in Warrington when the club was formerly known as Stockton Heath.
He is of course much more famous for his time in the other side of Merseyside and his heroics in the FIFA World Cup for his nation. Hunt is also remembered fondly in the town situated between Liverpool and Manchester — his impact on the town was recognised in 2016 when he was given freedom of Warrington.
Club career
Hunt played a key part in significant periods of Liverpool’s history when he helped the club to begin to put itself on the map in the early Bill Shankly days. On Betway Premier League betting, Liverpool are offered at 3/1 to finish in the top four positions this year, which is certainly below expectations based on the standards Shankly and co. set at the club. Despite this, Liverpool are currently one of the biggest clubs on the planet, and that would not have been possible without the contributions of the likes of Hunt that laid the foundations for the club’s future generations.
Hunt joined Liverpool from Stockton Heath at a time before they were known as Warrington Town and a rivalry with Rylands had not yet been formed seen at Warrington Worldwide. He began his career at Anfield in scintillating form with 21 goals in 36 league appearances in his first season. His most impressive season came in 1961/62 where he found the net 41 times in 41 second-division appearances, which is the greatest goalscoring ratio ever recorded by a Liverpool player over the course of a season. In his 11 seasons with The Reds, he averaged 22 league goals per campaign — a level of consistency that few players can stand up to in Liverpool’s history. His efforts helped Liverpool to earn a promotion to England’s top flight in 1962 and the club have remained amongst the nation’s elite ever since. Hunt quickly proved himself in the following years in Liverpool’s sixth and seventh first-division titles as the top scorer in both title victories, with 31 and 29 goals respectively.
Roger Hunt has scored more league goals for Liverpool than any other player in the club’s history:
◉ 492 games
◉ 285 goals
◎ 404 league games
◎ 244 league goalsOnly Ian Rush is ahead of him on the all-time list across all competitions. pic.twitter.com/SZx17mrdM9
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 28, 2021
The league triumphs allowed Liverpool to qualify for the European Cup for the first time. While Shankly was one of the key players in moulding the club’s eternal identity and reputation as a football club, Hunt was one of his most prized tools at Liverpool FC. Hunt ended his Liverpool career in 1969 when he departed to Bolton Wanderers, he accumulated 244 league goals throughout his Anfield stay and had certainly made his former Stockton Heath coaches proud. Warrington Town commemorated their former title and history on their 70th anniversary in 2019 with a kit that was released to remember the times that players such as Hunt lined up for the club.
Hunt’s role in England’s World Cup victory
Hunt earned his first England cap at the latter end of Liverpool’s title-winning season in the second division in 1961/62. His remarkable goal haul that season was recognised by Three Lions coach Sir Walter Winterbottom with a substitute cameo at home to Austria. He remained in and around the squad for several years following his initial call-up and was an unused member of England set up in the 1962 competition held in Chile. By the time the home World Cup of 1966 came, he had built a reputation for being a world-class forward firmly placing himself in Alf Ramsey’s plans. Hunt played all of the games at the competition alongside the likes of Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst in the attack.
All of the Liverpool forward’s goals at the World Cup came in the group stage, he netted one on matchday two against Mexico and scored a game-deciding brace against giants France in the final group fixture. Despite failing to net in the knockout fixtures, he was vital for his nation in general play. Hunt helped England to dominate games and create more chances due to his nimble stature that allowed him to complete mazy dribbles around opposition players. His strike partner Hurst netted a hattrick against West Germany in the final as seen at WHUFC in a game that England won 4-2. However, that did not prevent Hunt from being remembered as one of the Jules Rimet lifting heroes of 1966.
#OnThisDay in 1966, England beat West Germany to win the World Cup
55 years later and England are waiting to lift another major trophy…
Will 2022 FINALLY be the year to bring a trophy home? pic.twitter.com/TZCGE3lQN0
— GOAL (@goal) July 30, 2021
Hunt’s impact on football was commemorated in 2000 when he was awarded an MBE for the role he played in the World Cup victory and in 2006 he was named in England’s Football Hall of Fame. The former Stockton Heath forward established himself as one of Liverpool’s greatest players ever alongside his achievements on the international stage. The club is currently in a strong position seen at Warrington Worldwide, but it will take a truly remarkable talent in the future to produce a fraction of the impact that Hunt had on the game, he is one of the nation’s most talented footballers ever.
