CELEBRITY KOP CLUB: DEREK ACORAH

Welcome to Celebrity Kop Club, a unique band of Reds who've risen to fame with hope in their hearts and a Liver Bird on their chest. The next inductee is a TV psychic who once played for Liverpool. Well, a few games for the reserves, but still...



So, you're one of the country's top psychics. And you're a Liverpool fan. Yet you didn't think to warn Djimi Traore about tripping over himself before that own goal against Burnley?

Didn't it occur to you to have a word in the ear of Ronny Rosenthal in 1992, tell him to just roll it in? Or how about Michael Owen? Surely he would never have left if he knew the Reds would lift the European Cup 12 months later?

"You have to leave it at home – that's what Shanks told me," says former Most Haunted presenter Derek Acorah, who was an apprentice under the great man in the late 1960s.

If a dressing down from Bill Shankly doesn't stop you applying your psychic powers in the football world, nothing will.

But how did the topic arise in the first place? Well, it followed a players' lunch after training one day when Acorah warned the late Emlyn Hughes to be careful when he picked up his new car the next day.

Naturally, Hughes called him a weirdo and that was that. Until the charismatic defender turned up late for training the following day, that is.

Acorah takes up the story: "When he eventually got there it didn't take a minute to get round that he'd smashed the car up and it was a write off.

"Shanks got me in to the office and said, 'Son, where did you get all this from? You leave that at home, you just bring your boots here and play football.'"

From that day on, he has kept his premonitions to himself. Unless he's in a dark cellar, of course.

So, what of Acorah's Anfield career? What position did he play? And how many cups did he win?

Well, he was an inside forward (attacking midfielder) who never actually played a first-team game. After being released by Liverpool he was snapped up by Wrexham. However, he stayed at the Racecourse Ground less than a year before emigrating to Australia, where he wound down his playing career and tried his hand at coaching.

"It was heart-wrenching to be released from Liverpool," admits the 57-year-old. "But to this day I look back and think it was the greatest experience of my life, those few years, because I was under the great man."

Oh well, at least he saw the end of his Reds career coming, eh. No really, he did.

"My grandma was my mentor," recalls Acorah, who returned to England after a few years Down Under and now lives with his wife Gwen in Southport. "She actually predicted that I'd play for Liverpool! She said I would go so long and then I would transfer over into the true thing I was meant to do. I was developing as a psychic naturally even in my days of training and playing football."

The prophecy is made even spookier by the revelation that young Derek wasn't even a Red at the time - he was brought up as an Evertonian!

"Our house was full of Blues and I was indoctrinated into that. I used to be taken over to Goodison Park to watch them from the boys' pen.

"Then I found out there were a couple of scouts interested and I got approached from Liverpool and asked to come to training on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
"After a short space of time, quietly, and I quote quietly, my leanings started to change, but I wouldn't tell my dad or my uncles! I carried on going to the Everton games but really didn't have the heart for that anymore. By the time I signed for Liverpool as an apprentice pro I was a full-blooded Red.

"My dad had to come here and meet Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley and go into that trophy room, biting his lip, to countersign my apprenticeship.

"I always remember something: Bob Paisley came up to my dad and said, 'Would you like a drink, Fred?' My Dad said, 'Ah, yes!' He was thinking he'd get a tot of whisky, but Bob Paisley came through with a cup of coffee. My dad just said, 'That's typical!'"

Acorah used to wear the numbers eight or 10 on his back – not that he was allowed to be precious about it. Once, early in his playing days, he was ordered to hand over the number eight shirt to a young trialist from Scotland.

"It was the A-side against Man City at Melwood and I asked the boss for eight because I'd worn it for a couple of weeks," remembers the medium.

"He said to me, 'No son, we've got a young lad here who's got to wear that.' That was Kenny Dalglish! He only played a couple of games and then shot back to Scotland, but of course you saw what happened with him later - they had to buy him and bring him back."

Having carved out a successful career writing about and presenting shows on all things spiritual, Acorah doesn't lose any sleep over what might have been at Anfield. He's not a bitter (former) Blue.

In fact, he reckons his love for the Reds is as strong as ever in the Benitez era.

"It will never stop," he declares with pride. "I still get to Anfield, though not as much as I'd like. Ideally, I'd like to have a season ticket if that was possible but my schedule is just so hectic and has been for the last seven years now. So believe me, when I do get the chance I savour it."

Who else is in Celebrity Kop Club?

Chris De Burgh>>

John Power>>

Sue Johnston>>

DJ Spoony>>

John Bishop>>

Euan Blair>>

Dr Karl Kennedy>>

Les Dennis>>

Neville Skelly>>

Stan Boardman>>

Dean Martin and JFK>>