Following his magnetic career as a pundit on Match Of The Day (and entertaining viewers ever year with his embarrassing Movember attempts, with a grubby five o'clock shadow ala the "evil" Man Of Steel in Superman III), where he barely held his own in a conversation with Gary Lineker, it can be easy to forget that Mark Lawrenson was once one of the most formidable players to take to the Anfield pitch. Another old-school defender - but one that actually played in the old-school era, with his tenure at Liverpool between 1981 and 1988 racking up some 241 appearances - the young Lawrenson was not to be trifled with. Along with fellow pundit Alan Hansen, Lawrenson made up one of the best, most impenetrable central defensive pairings in the League during his time at the club. He's a little more reserved during his television appearances but on the field, Lawrenson was a classic Liverpool hard man: impossible to get past, dogged in his pursuit of the ball, and unlikely to take any challenges lying down. When he finally retired from the team (and the game) towards the end of the decade, he was one of the most decorated players in Liverpool history. As well as one of the hardest, obviously.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
