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Bio:

John William Aldridge (born 18 September 1958) is a former footballer and manager. Nicknamed “Aldo”, he was a prolific, record-breaking striker. His tally of 329 Football League goals is the sixth-highest in the history of English football.

During his early career, he worked his way up through the lower leagues. He played in every league from the old Fourth Division to the old First Division. Initially signed as a replacement for Ian Rush, Aldridge spent over two successful seasons at Liverpool. He won the league and FA Cup once. He narrowly missed out on a second league title. Aldridge spent two seasons at Real Sociedad. He was the first non-Basque player to sign for the club in several decades. They abandoned their selective recruitment policy. In 1991, he returned to England to play for Tranmere Rovers, becoming their player-manager in 1996. He retired from playing in 1998 and resigned as manager in 2001 and has not managed since.

He was a Liverpudlian by birth. He was recruited to play for the Republic of Ireland as part of Jack Charlton’s “Granny Rule” policy. His great-grandmother was from Athlone and traveled to Liverpool to settle in the 19th century. His career with Ireland coincided with their most successful period in international football, and he played at two World Cups.

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