I rubbed shoulders with Liverpool greats at Taylor Swift concert as superstar emulates Thiago

When you think of great performances at Anfield, names like Sir Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Mohamed Salah come to mind.

Names that produced moments of brilliance when it mattered most. Names that left those present amazed at what they witnessed.

But on Thursday night, another new name entered Anfield folklore. But this performance had absolutely nothing to do with football.

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Juggernaut Taylor Swift rolled into Anfield for the first of three concerts to be held at the iconic venue. The town had already been renamed Taylor Town and had been hit by a tsunami of pink cowboy hats and sequined outerwear.

What followed will live long in the memory of those at Anfield as they were treated to a musical masterclass from the biggest pop star on the planet at the moment.

Swift is an accomplished guitarist and pianist who slips easily into her six-piece band arrangements. She is also an incredible performer.

The best way to describe Swift’s performance was that it was like watching Gerrard and other Liverpool greats in their pomp.

In fact, it was the best individual performance at Anfield since Thiago Alcantara took the p**s off Manchester United in April 2022.

The roar that greeted the American when she started her performance was similar to what is heard inside this famous old stadium when the Reds score.

For three-and-a-half hours, the star chronicled her journeys through country and pop in the form of era-defining hits like Cruel Summer, Love Story and Shake it Off.

Along the way, I have had so many moments of joy, sadness, celebration, accomplishment and reflection. It was like following the fortunes of the Reds over the past two years.

It was also fitting that a number of great Reds, as well as this reporter, were in attendance to see Swift write his name in the Anfield history books. On Thursday, Jurgen Klopp and Dalglish were joined by former players David Fairclough, Charlie Adam, Stephen Warnock and Bruce Grobbelaar, while Jamie Carragher attended Friday’s show.

Like many of Liverpool’s players past and present, Swift is amazingly good in every aspect of her pitch and it was fitting that it was the Red era that really struck a chord with those watching.

Much like watching Liverpool under Klopp, no one could feel underwhelmed by a set that really had it all. This was a performance that exceeded all expectations, just like Thiago did against United a few years ago.

This was a night, much like when the Reds beat Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, that those present will never forget.