Long before Jurgen Klopp arrived in the Anfield dugout, a former Man United and Everton striker was interviewed for the job of Liverpool manager.
Klopp has now been at Liverpool for over eight years, making him the longest-serving manager of the club since Bob Paisley.
It has been a remarkable reign, with his appointment in 2015 a masterstroke by owners Fenway Sports Group, who were already five years in charge by that point.
Rafa Benitez was manager upon their takeover in 2010, while Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers all held the position prior to Klopp’s arrival.
Hodgson’s reign remains one of the major flaws of FSG’s ownership, though it was quickly corrected upon the future England boss being sacked at the start of 2011.
Dalglish was appointed caretaker manager after Hodgson’s exit, but it was not until the summer that the popular decision was taken to hand him a permanent contract.
Before that, FSG had considered other candidates including, according to the man himself, Man United legend Mark Hughes.
“I once had an interview for the Liverpool job – I don’t think that’s well documented!” he told Sam Allardyce’s No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“I didn’t get it, so it doesn’t count does it? I think Kenny decided he was going to be manager again.
“Perhaps the choice of candidates wasn’t that great, so that’s why I didn’t get any closer!
“But yeah, I had a sit-down with a couple of people at Liverpool. That would have been more of a shock than me getting the Man City job!”
Though there was a confusion over exactly when Hughes would have been in the running to be Liverpool manager – whether immediately after Hodgson’s sacking or before Dalgish signed a long-term deal – it is likely the latter.
The Welshman, who had already succeeded Hodgson at Fulham, was in place at Craven Cottage during the 2010/11 campaign.
He then opted to leave Fulham that summer, explaining that “as a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences,” which would likely have then seen him touted to FSG.
Didier Deschamps, Frank Rijkaard, Andre Villas-Boas and, surprisingly, Owen Coyle were also considered for the job around the time of Hodgson’s handover to Dalglish.
Dalglish reached the finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup in his sole full season back in charge, winning the latter.
Hughes went on to manage QPR, Stoke, Southampton and, most recently, Bradford.
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