BLACKBURN 02/11:30PM
Rovers fans will forever be grateful for the 1994/95 season that brought their team the Premier League title.
Much is made of the 'SAS' strike force and the finances that helped them to glory, but one man whose role is often overlooked is Kenny Dalglish.
Dalglish was appointed at Ewood Park in October 1991 at then Second Division Blackburn and started strongly but ultimately had to find his route to the Premier League following a 1-0 victory over Leicester City in the play-off final.
Rovers were back in the big time for the first time since the late 1960s and keen to make a running start, Alan Shearer was secured for a British record fee of £3.5m from Southampton.
Injury to his star man had little impact as Dalglish's Rovers achieved an impressive fourth-place finish in their maiden Premier League season.
Dalglish was eager to add other marquee signings to the squad and acquired Tim Flowers, David Batty and most notably Chris Sutton, another record- breaking capture.
Sutton and Shearer provided a deadly strike partnership as Dalglish's side ran riot and the league title was famously claimed at Anfield on the final day despite a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool.
Dalglish became the fourth man to win an English league title with two different teams and his team and those who formed part of it will be forever remembered by the Lancashire club.
SWANSEA 09/11, 3:00PM
'Take on Me', 'Come on Eileen' and the 'Macarena' are some of the most memorable one-hit wonders but they all pale into insignificance in comparison to the unforgettable Michu!
Our next visitors, Swansea City, once heralded a Spanish star who was an emphatic yet short-lived hero at the Liberty Stadium.
His career began in his homeland, and spells at Celta Vigo and Real Vallecano were enough for Michael Laudrup to splash a mere £2m on Michu as a replacement for the talismanic Gylfi Sigurdsson in the summer of 2012.
The striker hit the ground running in a fabled first season in the Premier League, with a brace on his debut against QPR endearing him to the Jacks.
He also upset the big boys as he scored against Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United home and away. In all, 22 goals in his maiden season away from Spain.
Laudrup heralded a genius as Michu was part of a Swansea team that finished ninth in the top tier and lifted the League Cup.
His second season was also impressive as he helped the Swans compete in Europe for the first time. More notably he was given his first international cap in October 2013.
However, that would prove the peak of his career. Never able to hit the heights of 2012/13 through a dip in form and injuries, Michu ultimately retired aged 31 whilst plying his trade in Segunda Liga for Oviedo.
Peter Jones
@PeterKennyJones
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