John Aldridge

File:Somerton Park, Newport - 2 - geograph-1225324.jpg in 1981]]

Aldridge took a long time to reach the top level of the English game. He began his career in the mid-1970s at non-league South Liverpool, before getting his break in the professional game when, aged 20, he signed for Newport County in the Fourth Division on 2 May 1979 for £3,500.

While at Somerton Park, he played 198 times scoring 87 goals, a goal every {{frac|2|1|4}} games, including seven goals in twelve FA Cup matches. He partnered Tommy Tynan and Dave Gwyther for four years at Somerton Park, helping Newport to promotion from the Fourth Division and Welsh Cup glory in his first season, and to reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup in his second.

His first season with County, the 1979–80 season, saw him score fourteen goals from 38 games as his side won the Welsh Cup and gained promotion to the Third Division. A year later, he featured in the side that achieved a notable European run. In the league, he scored seven goals in 27 league games. He scored eleven goals in 36 games in the 1981–82 season, but in the 1982–83 season, he did better still with seventeen goals from 41 games as County narrowly missed out on promotion to the second tier.{{cite web |url = http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=37975 |title=John Aldridge |access-date = 2 September 2010}}

In the 1983–84 season, with Tynan having departed, Aldridge had scored 26 times by the end of February, and County were still in the Third Division.{{cite web |url = http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/newport/newport.html |title = Newport County A-Z of transfers}}

Alridge was sold to Oxford United on 21 March 1984,{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2007/04/25/john_aldridge.shtml|title=John Aldridge History with Oxford United.}} when the club was preparing for their Third Division promotion run-in under the management of Jim Smith. He made his debut on 7 April 1984, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Walsall at Fellows Park. His first goal was in the 5–0 home win against Bolton Wanderers on 20 April 1984.

He was used sparingly in the run-in to the Third Division title but the following season forged a partnership with Billy Hamilton and became the first Second Division player for nineteen years to score 30 goals. His 34 goals (30 in the league) in 1984–85 broke the club's goalscoring record for a single season,{{cite web|url= https://www.oufc.co.uk/club/history/club-records/|title= Oxford United Club Records.|access-date= 16 March 2023|archive-date= 16 March 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230316225806/https://www.oufc.co.uk/club/history/club-records/|url-status= dead}} as Oxford gained promotion to the old First Division for the first time. Aldridge also picked up a Second Division title medal.

In his 27th year, Aldridge finally had the chance to play in the First Division. He was the third-highest scorer in the division (only surpassed by Gary Lineker and Frank McAvennie) and netted six goals in United's League Cup-winning run in 1986 which culminated in a 3–0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in the final at Wembley. This is Oxford's only major trophy to date. His 23 goals from 39 games also assisted in Oxford avoiding relegation.

Aldridge ended up playing 141 times for Oxford, scoring 90 goals – a goal every 1.5 games – including fourteen League Cup goals in 17 ties. He scored four goals against Gillingham in the League Cup on 24 September 1986 and three hat-tricks, the first in the 5–2 victory over Leeds United on 24 November 1984. He also scored one of the two Oxford goals that defeated Manchester United in Alex Ferguson's first game as manager, on 8 November 1986, maintaining his fine form into the 1986–87 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage/fixture/1986-11-08/ |title=Oxford United 2–0 Manchester United |publisher=Rage Online |access-date=23 July 2020}}

File:John Aldridge.JPG in 2008]]

In early 1987, Liverpool were losing striker Ian Rush to Juventus at the end of the 1986–87 season and needed a proven and experienced replacement. He signed for Kenny Dalglish's side on 27 January 1987 for £750,000 and was initially used as a partner for Rush (filling a position previously occupied by player-manager Dalglish and fellow striker Paul Walsh) and as an occasional substitute. Dalglish had been interested in signing other strikers, including Chelsea's David Speedie and Arsenal's Charlie Nicholas, for a number of months before settling on Aldridge.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZdRHAAAAIBAJ&pg=6524,2806124&dq=kerry+dixon+chelsea&hl=en|work=New Straits Times|title=Newell Hits a Hat-trick|via=Google News Archive Search|date=27 October 1986 |access-date=23 July 2020}} By the time of his transfer to Liverpool in that 1986–87 season, Aldridge had already scored fifteen goals for Oxford in 25 games.

Liverpool ended the season trophyless, including a Wembley defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup final, for which Aldridge was ineligible.

Aldridge made his debut for Liverpool on 21 February 1987, when he came on as a 46th-minute substitute for Craig Johnston in a 2–2 league draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1573 |title=Aston Villa 2 – 2 Liverpool |work=lfchistory.net |access-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622111349/http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1573 |archive-date=22 June 2010 }} His first goal for his new club came a week later on 28 February, in the 60th minute, the only goal of the game as Liverpool beat Southampton in a league match at Anfield.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1575 |title=Liverpool 1 – 0 Southampton |work=lfchistory.net |access-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304233225/http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1575 |archive-date=4 March 2007 }}

Aldridge scored 26 goals in a successful season for Liverpool, including a strike in each of the first nine games, forming a 10-match scoring run as he had scored in his final league appearance of the previous season.{{cite web|author=Statistics |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Stats/Article/2561 |title=A timeline for Liverpool Football Club |publisher=LFChistory.net |access-date=30 October 2011}}

He linked up with new signings Peter Beardsley and John Barnes as Liverpool lost only twice in the league season and went unbeaten for the first 29 matches. Liverpool won the 1988 league title with a nine-point lead over their nearest rivals Manchester United, although the gap between Liverpool and their nearest contenders was considerably wider for much of the season.

Aldridge scored both goals in the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1631 |title=Liverpool 2 – 1 Nottingham Forest |work=lfchistory.net |access-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622062956/http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1631 |archive-date=22 June 2010 }} With Wimbledon 1–0 up in the FA Cup final at Wembley, midway through the second half, Liverpool were awarded a spot-kick when Aldridge himself was fouled, and he took the resulting penalty. Aldridge had scored all eleven of his penalty kicks that season, but goalkeeper Dave Beasant noticed that he always placed the ball to the keeper's left. Aldridge did, as predicted, place the penalty to Beasant's left, and the keeper sprang across to save it.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1639 |title=Liverpool 0 – 1 Wimbledon |work=lfchistory.net |access-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622085318/http://www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=1639 |archive-date=22 June 2010 }} He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in a Wembley FA Cup final. Aldridge's failure was his first penalty miss for Liverpool. He was substituted shortly afterwards as Liverpool lost 1–0.

The following season was tough and eventful for Aldridge. Rush failed to settle in Italy and Liverpool paid £2.8 million to bring him back to Anfield just before the season started. Dalglish played Aldridge and Rush together. In the Charity Shield match against Wimbledon at Wembley, Aldridge started the match and scored both Liverpool goals in a 2–1 win. Aldridge maintained his scoring streak, often playing alongside both Rush and Beardsley in attack, while Rush missed a number of games or started games on the bench due to injuries. In the first league game of the season a week later, Aldridge scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Charlton Athletic.{{cite web |url=http://www.liverweb.org.uk/season.asp?season=198889 |title=Liverpool Results 1988–89 |publisher=Liverweb |access-date=25 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302071841/http://www.liverweb.org.uk/season.asp?season=198889 |archive-date=2 March 2012 |url-status=dead}} He scored another league hat-trick on 14 March, in the 5–0 home win over Luton Town, which took his league tally for the season to fifteen goals. He reached the twenty-goal mark on 13 May in a 2–1 win at Wimbledon, and finished the season as the club's top scorer with 22 goals in the league, eight in the FA Cup, two in the League Cup, and two in the Charity Shield, amounting to 34 in all competitions.

In the 1989 FA Cup final at Wembley, against Merseyside rivals Everton, Aldridge scored after four minutes with his first touch of the ball. Rush, who replaced Aldridge as a substitute, scored twice in extra time to earn Liverpool a 3–2 victory. Aldridge scored 21 league goals, and 31 in all competitions, putting him among the highest scorers in the first division that season. The League and FA Cup double, achieved by Liverpool in 1986, was again possible, with a deciding game against Arsenal to come at Anfield. Aldridge played in a game which would guarantee Liverpool the title as long as Arsenal failed to win by two clear goals. 1–0 down in injury time, Liverpool conceded another goal to Michael Thomas with virtually the last kick of the season, thus losing the League title.

Aldridge played 104 times for Liverpool, scoring 63 goals, 50 of them in the league.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/total_goals_per_season.asp?Player_id=252 |title=Total goals scored per season by John Aldridge |work=lfchistory.net |access-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210185236/http://www.lfchistory.net/total_goals_per_season.asp?Player_id=252 |archive-date=10 February 2006 }}

The following 1989–90 season, Kenny Dalglish reverted to a 4–4–2 formation with Rush and Beardsley as first-choice strikers. Liverpool accepted an offer of £1 million from La Liga side Real Sociedad in early September 1989, with Aldridge having played twice in the league for Liverpool that season.

This transfer made Aldridge the first non-Basque player to sign for Sociedad in several decades as they changed their selective recruitment policy.{{cite news |url= https://as.com/m/diarioas/2015/03/09/english/1425923329_131050.html |title= Real Sociedad roll out the red carpet for John Aldridge |newspaper= Diario AS |date= 9 March 2015 |access-date= 20 July 2017 |archive-date= 15 October 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181015114640/https://as.com/diarioas/2015/03/09/english/1425923329_131050.html |url-status= dead }}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/feb/25/aldridge-richardson-and-atkinson-at-real-sociedad-goals-class-red-ferrari|title=Goals, class, a red Ferrari: Aldridge, Richardson and Atkinson at la Real|first=Sid|last=Lowe|authorlink=Sid Lowe|work=The Guardian|date=25 February 2021|access-date=15 July 2024}}

Aldridge scored 40 goals in 75 appearances for Sociedad over two seasons, with the club encouraged to make more signings from English football in 1990, namely Dalian Atkinson and Kevin Richardson. Despite his success, some Sociedad fans initially did not accept him because he was a non-Basque. Insulting graffiti was written on the stadium, a fan spat on the ground when Aldridge passed in the street, and his family found it hard to adapt to the different lifestyle in the Basque country.{{cite web |url=https://global.espn.com/football/story/_/id/37416115/when-john-aldridge-returned-real-sociedad-got-hero-welcome-writes-sid-lowe |title=When John Aldridge returned to Real Sociedad, he got a hero's welcome |first=Sid |last=Lowe |publisher=ESPN |date=13 March 2015}} Aldridge handed in a transfer request in 1991 to the newly appointed manager John Toshack – another former Liverpool striker.{{cite news|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/05/11/john-aldridge-real-sociedads-unlikely-scouse-hero/|title=JOHN ALDRIDGE: REAL SOCIEDAD'S UNLIKELY SCOUSE IDOL|date=11 May 2017|work=These Football Times|access-date= 25 February 2021}}

Aldridge returned to Merseyside on 11 July 1991 with Tranmere Rovers, in a £250,000 deal. While there he scored a club-record 40 goals in his first season at Prenton Park – scoring his 40th goal against former club Oxford United. Tranmere, who were playing in the Second Division for the first time in more than fifty years, achieved a mid-table finish in the league.

He made his debut for Rovers, aged 32, on 17 August 1991, scoring both the goals in a 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground. In seven years as a Tranmere player, he amassed a total of 294 appearances, scoring 174 goals, an average of one goal every 1.7 games, including 22 goals from 25 League Cup ties. Aldridge retired at the end of the 1997–98 season, scoring a brace in his final game as a professional against Wolverhampton Wanderers.{{cite web |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/wolves/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/98/05/03/manual_152231.html&TEAMHD=wolves&DIV=prem&TEAM=WOLVES&RH=Wolves&PREV_SEASON=1996 |title=Tranmere 2 Wolves 1 |publisher=Sporting Life |date=3 May 1998 |access-date=1 June 2010 |archive-date=29 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129181341/https://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/wolves/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/98/05/03/manual_152231.html&TEAMHD=wolves&DIV=prem&TEAM=WOLVES&RH=Wolves&PREV_SEASON=1996 |url-status=dead }}

Aldridge's goals helped Tranmere reach their highest position ever in the league – top-six finishes in the second tier in 1993, 1994 and 1995 – which delivered playoff places each time, but all of them ended in semi-final defeats. He also came close to winning another major trophy as Rovers took Aston Villa to a penalty shoot-out in the 1993–94 League Cup semi-finals before bowing out to the eventual competition winners.

During his career in England alone, Aldridge played 739 games, scoring 411 times – an average of one goal every 1.8 games.

On 12 March 1996, with the resignation of John King after nine years as manager, Aldridge became player-manager of Tranmere, before finally giving up playing and concentrating on the management side two years later. In his first season in charge, Rovers finished the 1995–96 season in thirteenth place in Division One.{{cite news |url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/tranmere-rovers/tranmere-rovers-news/2001/03/18/john-aldridge-the-tranmere-years-100252-7569885/ |title=John Aldridge: The Tranmere years |work=Liverpool Echo |date=18 March 2001 |access-date=25 April 2011}}

Under Aldridge, Tranmere reached the 2000 Football League Cup final (which they lost to Leicester City) and consecutive FA Cup quarter-finals in 2000 and 2001. During the 2000 League Cup final, Aldridge slapped the face of Leicester's Theo Zagorakis after he applauded the referee's decision to send off Clint Hill.{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/2182300/theo-going-home|title=THEO GOING HOME|author=Ciaran Baynes|work=Sky Sports}} The slap was seen by FA officials and he was charged with misconduct.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/661123.stm|title=Aldridge hit by FA charge|work=BBC Sport}} Aldridge said of incident: "I felt he [Zagorakis] had disrespected Clint on one of the biggest occasions of his career so I slapped him". Tranmere were relegated into English football's third tier in 2001. Aldridge resigned in March 2001, just before Rovers' fate was sealed.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/aldridge-resigns-after-rovers-collapse-687923.html |title=Aldridge resigns after Rovers collapse |date=18 March 2001 |work=The Independent |access-date=16 December 2009 |location=London |first=Geoff |last=Brown }}{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Aldridge had already been recruited to play for the Republic of Ireland by the time he was approached by Liverpool at the start of 1987, qualifying through his grandmother, who was from Athlone.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2017/02/03/aldo-speaks-about-athlone-roots|title=Aldo speaks about Athlone roots |newspaper=Westmeath Independent |date=3 February 2017 |access-date=23 July 2020}} (When the Football Association of Ireland came looking for him they found out that Ray Houghton, who also played for Oxford at the time, was also eligible.) He made his debut, aged 27 on 26 March 1986 against Wales at Lansdowne Road in a 1–0 defeat.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/matchdetails.php?id=222&level=sssenior|title=Republic of Ireland 0 Wales 1|date=26 March 1986|work=SoccerScene.ie|access-date=16 December 2009}} The match was the first under new manager Jack Charlton.

That summer, Aldridge played for the Irish side which had qualified, under Charlton, for Euro 88 in West Germany, their first-ever major finals. They duly beat England 1–0, and drew 1–1 with the Soviet Union, but went out of the competition after a defeat by eventual champions the Netherlands.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/john-aldridge-the-dubliners-performance-in-the-team-hotel-summed-up-the-magic-of-beating-england-37002672.html|title = John Aldridge: The Dubliners' performance in the team hotel summed up the magic of beating England|date=12 June 2018|work=Irish Independent|access-date=13 June 2018}} Aldridge was struggling at international level at this time – he was playing well as a team performer, and Charlton was never unhappy, but it took him 20 matches to score his first international goal, which came against Tunisia at Lansdowne Road on 19 October 1988.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=245|title=Republic of Ireland 4 – 0 Tunisia|work=SoccerScene.ie|access-date=16 December 2009}}

Aldridge withdrew himself from Ireland's World Cup qualifying tie with Spain at Lansdowne Road on 26 April 1989, as he felt unable to participate in the game due to his grief over the Hillsborough disaster.{{cite web |url=http://www.newsint-archive.co.uk/pages/S.asp?pubsel=BOTH&SrchText=Hillsborough&edn=&DateFromDD=22&DateFromMM=Apr&DateFromYY=1989&page=&SortOrder=Asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortSpec=&DateToDD=30&DateToMM=Apr&ResultListMax=200&Submit1=Search&source=thetimes&DateToYY=1989&byline=&head=&Collection=NI%C2%A7=&Caption=&SortField=SDate&SortField=Pub&SortField=EDN&SortField=Page&ST=NS&Site=ALL&ResultCount=20&BackDD=Day&summreqd=yes&QueryText=(Hillsborough)+%3CAND%3E+(PUB%3DBOTH)+%3CAND%3E+((SDate%3E%3D4%2F22%2F1989)+%3CAND%3E+(SDate%3C%3D4%2F30%2F1989))&BackMM=Month&indexkey=29D8117191423728026E160&advsrch=0&BackYY=Year&_P=2&ResultMaxDocs=200& |title=The Times and The Sunday Times Archive |publisher=Newsint-archive.co.uk |access-date=30 October 2011 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The game ended in a 1–0 win for Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/classicqualifiers/news/newsid=1038663.html |title=Michel's misery, Dublin's delight |publisher=FIFA.com |date=26 April 1989 |access-date=30 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915015132/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/classicqualifiers/news/newsid%3D1038663.html |archive-date=15 September 2011 }} Aldridge finally scored his first goals at competitive level when he scored twice in a 2–0 win away over Malta, which sealed Ireland's qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Aldridge played a crucial role in Ireland's path to the quarter-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Though he had finally opened his goal account for his country, he failed to score at the World Cup (although he had a goal disallowed in a 1–1 draw with the Netherlands) and Ireland lost to the host nation in the last eight. Aldridge played every game but was substituted in all of his five appearances.

Ireland failed to qualify for Euro 92, despite going through their group unbeaten. Aldridge scored three times in qualification, all three goals coming in Ireland's opening 5–0 win over Turkey at Lansdowne Road. Despite this setback, Aldridge helped Ireland to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup: he scored six times in qualifying including a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Latvia.

Aldridge's international career with Ireland is also remembered for an off-pitch incident at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Trailing 2–0 to Mexico in a group game in Orlando, Florida, Charlton tried to send Aldridge on as a substitute but was delayed by a perceived sluggishness from the officials. Manager and player both launched expletive-laden tirades which were clearly heard by television viewers, with Aldridge having to be restrained from attacking the fourth official and a FIFA representative. When Aldridge finally was allowed on, after six full minutes of trying, he scored a goal to give Ireland a chance to get back into the game. After the game Aldridge was fined $2,500 by FIFA for unsporting behaviour. Despite losing the game 2–1, Aldridge's goal was crucial in securing qualification for the second round.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=301|title=Mexico 2 – 1 Republic of Ireland|work=SoccerScene.ie|access-date=16 December 2009}} All four teams in the group had finished with the same number of points and the same goal difference, Ireland's qualification was at the expense of Norway who had scored just one goal fewer.

Aldridge continued to play for Ireland in the qualifying stages of Euro 96. Despite a strong start to the group, Ireland failed to qualify. Aldridge scored twice in a 3–0 win away to Latvia in Ireland's opening game and was also on the scoresheet in a 4–0 away win against Northern Ireland. In Ireland's final home game of the group, Aldridge scored twice against Latvia in a 2–1 win, but Ireland failed to qualify after finishing second and losing a subsequent playoff to the Netherlands at Anfield in December 1995. Aldridge at this time was one goal short of the 20-goal record held by Frank Stapleton, but despite playing in the early stages of qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he failed to score again to match the record and retired in 1996 to concentrate on managing Tranmere Rovers. His final game was a 3–0 win against Macedonia on 9 October 1996, when he came on as a substitute.

Overall, Aldridge scored nineteen goals in sixty-nine matches spanning over a decade; eight of his nineteen goals came against Latvia.

File:John Aldridge in Singapore, 2023 01.jpg in Singapore, 2023]]

Aldridge is now a pundit with various media organisations – most notably with Radio City 96.7 where he summarises on the station's Liverpool commentaries home and away. He also continues to play in the Liverpool veterans' team. In 1998, he asked Hyder Jawad to ghost-write his autobiography. John Aldridge: My Story was published by Hodder & Stoughton the year after.

In 2006, he gained media celebrity in Ireland by appearing in RTÉ's Charity You're A Star competition. Despite not having a natural singing voice, Aldridge won the competition and in the process raised money for his nominated charity Temple Street Children's Hospital.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2006/0814/charityyoureastar.html|title=John Aldridge wins Charity You're A Star|date=14 August 2006|work=RTÉ News|access-date=16 December 2009}}

Aldridge was a crowd favourite everywhere he went, especially on Merseyside where being a local lad helped his cause. This was confirmed when a poll conducted by the [http://www.liverpoolfc.tv official Liverpool F.C. website] during the summer of 2006 placed him in 26th position. 110,000 Liverpool supporters worldwide took part in the poll named 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, where they were asked to name their favourite Reds of all time.

In March 2008, Aldridge took part in the autobiography audio CD series 60 minutes with John Aldridge. He spoke in depth about his career with 60 minutes presenter David Knight and later took part in a major signing session, signing 2000 copies of the CD in support of the Everyman appeal charity.{{cite web|url=http://www.60mins.tv |title=60mins.tv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929034544/http://www.60mins.tv/ |archive-date=29 September 2007 }}

Aldridge was allegedly involved in the News of the World hacking scandal in the mid-2000s. "They tell me I was hacked five or six years ago. I have no idea why they should go after me. I'm not exactly high profile."{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-14290907|title=Ex-Liverpool striker John Aldridge: NoW hacked my phone|date=26 July 2011|publisher=BBC Merseyside|access-date=27 July 2011}}

{{notelist}}

:Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Aldridge goal.

Newport County

• Welsh Cup: 1979–80

Oxford United

• Football League Second Division: 1984–85
• Football League Third Division: 1983–84
• League Cup: 1985–86

Liverpool

• Football League First Division: 1987–88
• FA Cup: 1988–89
• FA Charity Shield: 1988, 1989

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1991–92 Second Division,{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=149}} 1992–93 First Division, 1994–95 First Division{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=150}}
• English Second Division top scorer: 1984–85{{cite web|title=English League Leading Goalscorers |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |access-date=11 June 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628202228/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html |archive-date=28 June 2011}}
• First Division top scorer: 1987–88; 1994–95, 1995–96
• BBC Goal of the Season: 1987–88, 1988–89
• FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 1992

Tranmere Rovers

• Football League Cup runner-up: 1999–2000{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/658945.stm |title=Leicester triumph at Wembley |website=BBC Sport |date=27 February 2000 |access-date=28 March 2024}}

• List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland
• List of footballers in England by number of league goals
• List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/john-aldridge Profile] at the Liverpool F.C. website
• {{FIFA player}}
• {{UEFA player}}
• [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=252 Profile] at LFCHistory.net
• [http://www.thisisanfield.com/columnists/2005/04/forgotten-heroes-john-aldridge/ Thisisanfield.com Forgotten Heroes]
• {{Soccerbase}}
• {{Soccerbase manager|778|John Aldridge}}
• [http://sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/searchresults.asp?ButtonLeap=0&countryLinkDescription=+matching+search+results&FootballHeroName=john+aldridge&FootballHeroClubCountry=&FootballHeroDecade=Select+One&SearchButton=Search John Aldridge index at Sporting-heroes.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206071435/http://sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/searchresults.asp?ButtonLeap=0&countryLinkDescription=+matching+search+results&FootballHeroName=john+aldridge&FootballHeroClubCountry=&FootballHeroDecade=Select+One&SearchButton=Search |date=6 February 2012 }}

{{Navboxes

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{{1984–85 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{1991–92 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{1992–93 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{1994–95 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{English Second Division top scorers}}

{{English First Division top scorers}}

{{EFL Championship top scorers}}

{{Goal of the Season}}

{{FAI Senior International Player of the Year}}

{{Tranmere Rovers F.C. Hall of Fame}}

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{{Navboxes

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{{Republic of Ireland squad UEFA Euro 1988}}

{{Republic of Ireland squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}

{{Republic of Ireland squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}

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{{Tranmere Rovers F.C. managers}}

{{You're a Star}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldridge, John}}

Category:1958 births

Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players

Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:English expatriate men's footballers

Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Spain

Category:English men's footballers

Category:English people of Irish descent

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain

Category:First Division/Premier League top scorers

Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Spain

Category:La Liga players

Category:Liverpool F.C. players

Category:Living people

Category:Newport County A.F.C. players

Category:Oxford United F.C. players

Category:Singing talent show winners

Category:Real Sociedad footballers

Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers

Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers

Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers

Category:Footballers from Liverpool

Category:English Football League players

Category:Tranmere Rovers F.C. players

Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players

Category:South Liverpool F.C. players

Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen