Rodgers looks to Shankly, Paisley

Brendan Rodgers wants to rebuild Liverpool in the manner of legends Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

Shankly’s work with the Merseysiders from 1959 to 1974 ushered in a new era of prosperity on the pitch for the Anfield outfit, setting the stage for former assistant Paisley to initiate the club’s most successful era over the following nine years.

With the Reds having brought home only a single piece of silverware, the 2012 Capital One Cup, since the start of the 2006 season, Rodgers is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his celebrated predecessors in returning the side to prominence.

“First and foremost there is no comparison in relation to those greats of the past; those two managers will always be remembered here,” the Liverpool manager said.

“For someone like me, my job is to build the club again, like Bill Shankly did very successfully and that set up the many successful eras that everyone remembers Liverpool for.

“That’s what I’m trying to replicate and it’s a huge challenge, because the club is an institution, but it is a challenge that I’ve enjoyed every minute of and all the staff and players have also.

I’ve seen real progress this season and I would expect us to continue that over the next couple of years. “

Rodgers added that Liverpool’s fans are the greatest source of inspiration in his endeavours at Anfield, and commented that while he is constantly reminded of the club’s illustrious history, he does not feel held captive by the past.

“I’ve been very pleased because at the end of the day the supporters are the people that count. You always want to win games and to develop the team, so it’s very important that you have encouragement from your fans,” he said.

“Our supporters have shown exactly why they are so well renowned – I’ve really felt and appreciated their support.

“It’s everything and things like the ‘This is Anfield’ sign are symbols of the great past. What is also important, though, is that we are not held hostage to our history.

“This is an incredible club, you only need to walk into the reception to see a European Cup in the hallway, so you know that every day you come in you have to be good.

“It’s important that we use that as motivation and commitment for our future. The wonderful players and managers that we have had here provide inspiration to us all and it gives us a great focus going forward to try and recreate those memories.”