Complex sentence: The centre-half had been signed from Hibernian in 1898, he became club captain a year later and was often the focal point of the team, as he was an important defensive player and the instigator of many of Liverpool's attacks.
Split into simpler sentences: The centre-half had been signed from Hibernian in 1898. He became club captain a year later and was often the focal point of the team, as he was an important defensive player and the instigator of many of Liverpool's attacks.