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Neil Razor Ruddock was signed by Graeme Souness from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 1993 for 2.5 million. Graeme was looking to add some hard steel to Liverpool’s defence.
Souness saw him as the ideal partner for Mark Wright but it didn’t quite work out like that. He already had a reputation as a hard man and his Anfield debut in a Red shirt was controversial to say the least. In Ronnie Whelan’s testimonial a clash with former Red hero Peter Beardsley now playing for Newcastle, left the striker with a fractured cheekbone.
Ruddock made his Liverpool debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Anfield and set up one of the goals in a 2-0 win for Nigel Clough. He then followed that up in his third game by scoring his first goal against Swindon Town.
His best moment from the 1993-94 season was scoring an equaliser in the 3-3 draw with Manchester United at Anfield, with a thumping header past Peter Schmeichel. In fact he did not know he had scored. After the game it transpired Ruddock was suffering from concussion and only realised afterwards what that goal had meant!
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When Roy Evans took charge at Anfield, he used a different defensive formula. Here Neil Razor Ruddock played as one of three centre halves and he looked more comfortable in this role.
He played his part in the club winning the Coca Cola Cup. This was when he played in the 2-1 win against Bolton Wanderers at Wembley.
However the following season he experienced what he called ‘his worst moment in football.’ This was when Roy Evans left him out of the FA Cup Final squad to face Manchester United at Wembley. His replacement was Phil Babb and Liverpool lost 1-0. They badly missed Razor’s steel and fighting spirit and Evans later admitted he had made a mistake.
Fighting fit and raring to go at the start of the 1996-97 season disaster struck for Ruddock. He injured his groin just before the big kick-off against Middlesbrough. Unfortunately the remainder of Neil Razor Ruddock’s career at Anfield was to be blighted by niggling injuries.
Ruddock’s final game for Liverpool was against Strasbourg in the UEFA Cup. He then moved to West Ham United before a spell with Crystal Palace.
