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Liverpool showed their intent by paying a club record sum of £75 pounds for double League champion inside-right Jimmy Ross from Preston's "Invincibles" in 1894.

It was an ambitious signing as Ross was a legend at Preston, scoring 18 goals in Preston's undefeated season, being the league's top scorer in 1889-1890 with 24 goals and scoring seven goals in Preston's record 26-0 win vs Hyde in the 1887-1888 season. Ross took over as Liverpool captain from Andrew Hannah midway through his debut season and 11 goals from 27 league matches was not a bad return during a season when the club only managed 51 from 30 games and were relegated straight back to the Second Division.

Ross played as well as centre forward as on the right wing and banged in 23 goals from 25 games as the club made an immediate return to the top division. But a year later, even though Liverpool did finally establish themselves as a First Division club by finishing in a very creditable fifth place, Jimmy only found the net three times from 21 matches. Late in the 1896-97 season he joined Burnley along with team-mate Malcolm McVean, but Ross' four goal in four matches couldn't prevent relegation. Burnley won the Second Division the following season with Ross scoring an impressive 23 goals in 27 league matches. Ross only played half a season in the First Division before joining Manchester City which were on their way to the Second Division championship. Ross scored 21 goals in 67 games for City. Ill-health forced him to retire from the game at the end of the 1900-01 season. He contracted an acute skin disease, succumbed to raging fever and he passed away only 36 years of age on June 12, 1902. 

Other Clubs:
Edinburgh St Bernard's, Preston North End, Burnley, Man City