New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson looks to have already hit the ground running with the understanding of some of the issues surrounding the Merseyside club. The gap between the academy at Kirkby and first team training at Melwood has been much criticised over the years and has been seen as a contributing factor to the lack of young players making it through the ranks of the club, and Roy believes that Kenny Dalglish could play a critical role in rectifying the problem if he takes up the role of Head of Football Development. He said:
“Kenny will play a big role in that. If he is going to take on the role of Head of Football Development – especially with the new rules coming in – making that bridge between Kirkby and Melwood is going to be vital. I think he has lots of other roles to play. In his position with the football club I compare him to (Giancinto) Facchetti with whom I worked at Inter Milan or Bobby Charlton; those men have got such a standing at their clubs. . . He is also someone who can give me great advice and help in my job. If Kenny wants to be a part of that, I hope he does.”
Hodgson also revealed chairman Martin Broughton’s explanation as to why Kenny was not considered for the role of manager:
“It was up to the board who they wanted. They did not want him to be a candidate for the job. They do want him to be a part of Liverpool Football Club today and in the future and they want him to use all of his skills. They don’t just want him as a manager for a period, they want him to be a part of it for the long haul and influence future managers and future players. That is going to be very important for Liverpool.”
