FORMER Liverpool and Tranmere striker Alan Arnell has passed away at the age of 79.

Arnell was a talented centre-forward who netted 35 goals in 75 appearances for the Reds after manager Don Welsh signed him in 1953 from Sussex amateur side Worthing.

During his eight years at Anfield he found his opportunities limited because he was competing for the No 9 shirt with the legendary Billy Liddell.

He moved on to Tranmere in February 1961, scoring 34 goals in 68 league games, before ending his playing career with spells at Halifax Town and Runcorn. He then joined the Runcorn board as a director.

In 1968 he returned south to his home town of Chichester in Sussex where together with his wife Rosemary they ran pubs for 25 years.

Arnell suffered a stroke at the age of 47 which left him weak on his left hand side but he continued to work and a decade ago moved into one of his other great passions, horse racing.

He was the declarations clerk for a number of courses including Goodwood, Brighton and Plumpton prior to his death last Sunday.

His widow Rosemary said: “Alan and I were childhood sweethearts and it would have been our 60th wedding anniversary next year.

“We loved our time in Liverpool. Our daughter Jacki, now 50, was born in the city.

“We lived in a club house in Greystone Road in Huyton when we first moved up near Billy Liddell.

“Then when the Deysbrook estate opened we moved to a shop there to run the tobacconist and post office

“Alan was a very good footballer but he was also a very modest man and didn’t really talk about himself.

“The only problem he had at Liverpool was that he was trying to take over Billy Liddell’s position. He never had a hope really.”

Arnell did his National Service in the Royal Sussex Regiment between 1952 and 1954 so initially had to sign for Liverpool as an amateur.

He scored on his debut against Blackpool in December 1953 – the season the Reds were relegated to the Second Division.

His best season for Liverpool came in 1955/56 when he made 27 appearances but after that he remained on the fringes under both Phil Taylor and Bill Shankly.

It was Shankly who rewarded his dedication to the club by agreeing to hand him a free transfer rather than demand a fee in 1961.

Speaking back in 2002, Arnell said: “I arranged to buy a sub-post office and newsagent’s shop less than a quarter of a mile from the training ground.

“It was towards the end of the season and Bill Shankly said Swindon were interested in me and a £7,000 fee was mentioned.

“I said I had just offered to buy a business and Shanks immediately replied ‘in that case, you can have a free transfer’. In about one hour I was a Tranmere player.

“It turned out a good move for me and I had two good years there and afterwards went to Halifax to earn a bit more money than the shop was bringing in.

“Life under Shankly was interesting although Don Welsh was also a flamboyant manager. Shanks was simply obsessed with football. When you talked with him, You were the best player, the opposition rubbish, not worth mentioning. He was a great motivator. We had a wonderful life on Merseyside. There is no better place in this country for being appreciated.”