“Extremely knowledgeable about football” – Kenny Dalglish pays tribute to Gerard Houllier

Sir Kenny Dalglish is the latest Liverpool legend to offer some kind words about Gerard Houllier, who sadly passed away on Monday.

The former Reds manager, who held the reins for six years from 1998 to 2004, helped modernise the club in the late 90s and is most famous for his treble win in the 2000/01 season, which yielded the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.

“It’s the things that are not on public record that have really stood out in the past few days, and that’s about his qualities as a human being,” Dalglish wrote in the Sunday Post (via the Echo). “In my own dealings with him, I found Gerard to be great company and extremely knowledgeable about football.

“To bring success, you need to make tough decisions, and more often than not those are unpopular calls,” the former striker added. “But Gerard found a way of finding a formula of not shirking anything – but retaining friendships. That’s a tough balancing act to negotiate, but he managed it very well.”

Houllier has been spoken about in depth – and certainly by those more qualified to do so, having had the pleasure of spending time with the Frenchman – but it’s clear to see how genuinely loved he was by all.

As a manager, Gerard completely reformed Liverpool football club from top to bottom; as a human being he reformed his fellow man, with Danny Murphy’s tribute standing as a touching example.

With the benefit of hindsight, it has become a matter of indisputable fact that we would not be where we are today without the changes the ex-Lyon coach instilled at Anfield.

Thank you, Gerard. You’ll Never Walk Alone.

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