Liddell's official debut for Liverpool came in the third round of the FA Cup, the first competitive football tournament to be organised in post-war England. He started in the first leg against Chester City on 5 January 1946 and scored in the 30th minute. The match ended in a 2–0 win and featured several additional debutants, including Bob Paisley, who would forge a chemistry with Liddell as a left half. League football completed its first full season under the provisional North and South divisional system, which facilitated the restoration of national football for the 1946–47 season. Although he established himself in the North League, scoring 17 goals in 42 matches, Liddell had yet to be discharged from the RAF and did not accompany Liverpool during its post-season tour of North America in May 1946. His unavailability extended to pre-season training and the first two matches of the 1946–47 season. On 7 September, Liddell registered his first official league appearance and scored twice in a 7–4 defeat of Chelsea.