'The lift that the club needed' - looking back at 1985-86

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Liverpool legends Gary Gillespie and Sammy Lee have been reminiscing on the famous Double-winning 1985-86 season before an anniversary event marking 40 years since the triumph.

It was the first season Kenny Dalglish had led the team as player-manager following the Heysel disaster and Joe Fagan's retirement. However, despite the uncertainty, the Reds went on to achieve only the fifth Double in English football history.

"It was the lift the club needed after Heysel because everyone was on a down,' Lee told Paul Salt of BBC Radio Merseyside's Total Sport. "Joe decided enough was enough.

"We weren't too sure what was going to happen and were all still in a state of shock. To have someone like Kenny come in and lead us and do what he did after that was nothing short of exceptional.

"Because of what happened previously we wanted to make it work.

"We realised the club and English football was in such a sorry state so we needed to make it happen. That dressing room, alongside all the people Kenny had working with him, was going to make sure it was a success.

"Although we had a difficult start, it wasn't going to hinder our progress and it certainly didn't."

Gillespie added: "Kenny distanced himself a little bit from the players but still had a laugh and a joke.

"The dressing room was excellent with senior players and great characters throughout to look after everything going on."

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