Rodgers in at Anfield as Reds take chance on Swansea manager
LIVERPOOL are poised to confirm the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as their new manager after Swansea last night announced the former Chelsea coach has agreed to join the Reds.
The 39-year-old, a former protege of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, is set to sign a three-year deal at Anfield, subject to the clubs thrashing out a compensation fee of around £5m.
He beat Wigan’s Roberto Martinez to the role, with the Spaniard yesterday reaffirming his commitment to his current employers following the snub.
Rodgers’ chance at one of the world’s most iconic clubs, despite a recent failure to challenge for major honours, caps a meteoric rise just four years after starting his managerial career at Watford.
For Liverpool’s American owners Fenway Sports Group his appointment represent a major gamble, having sacked the popular Kenny Dalglish and replaced him with a man sacked by Reading just two and a half years ago.
Since then, however, he has made Swansea the first Welsh club to play in the Premier League and drawn plaudits for keeping them there while playing attractive possession football.
Liverpool moved for Rodgers on Tuesday evening and were granted permission to begin talks, which progressed quickly enough for Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins to bid him farewell last night.
“Following on from discussions with Liverpool’s owners, Brendan has informed us that he would like to take up their offer to manage Liverpool,” said Jenkins.
“We are currently in talks with the owners to agree compensation. We are trying to finalise that within the next 24 hours. We didn’t wish to stand in his way.”
RODGERS FACTFILE
1973: Born 26 January in Carnlough, Northern Ireland
1987: Begins playing career as a defender with Ballymena United
1990: Joins Reading before injury forces him to retire. Remains at the club in their coaching set-up
2004: New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho appoints Rodgers as Chelsea youth-team manager
2006: Promoted at Chelsea to reserve team manager
2008: Appointed manager of struggling Watford and leads them to safety in the Championship
June 2009: Returns to Reading as manager after Steve Coppell fails to inspire Premier League return
December 2009: Leaves Reading by mutual consent after an underwhelming start at the club
July 2010: Joins Swansea City as manager
May 2011: Guides the Swans to promotion to the Premier League, via the Championship play-offs, the first Welsh club to reach the top flight
May 2012: Impresses throughout first Premier League season. Swansea play good football and comfortably finish in 11th place, despite spending little in the transfer market, just three places behind big-spending Liverpool
May 2012: Liverpool agree three-year contract for Rodgers to join as manager after sacking fans’ favourite Kenny Dalglish