Kenny Dalglish has revealed how a moment in the last FA Cup Merseyside derby made him realise it was time to walk away from the club he had served so well throughout an illustrious career.
Eighteen years have passed since the fateful night in March 1991 where the Reds drew 4-4 with the Blues in a Cup replay now firmly etched in derby folklore.
The local rivals not only produced one of the finest games in the competition's history, but it proved to be the Scot's final match in charge as Liverpool manager.
The Reds legend stunned the football fraternity after announcing his resignation as the dust was still settling on one of the greatest derbies in living memory.
Dalglish told the official LFC magazine: "I knew that night that I had to go. After we took the lead for the final time, I was standing on the touchline and I knew that I had to make a change to shore things up at the back.
"I could see what had to be done, and what would happen if I didn't do it, but I didn't act on what I knew I had to do. That was the moment I knew.
"The wife was busy planning my 40th birthday, and I just came in that night and told her I was done. I needed the break. I was shattered and Marina was stunned.
"I never fell out of love with the game, even now I still love it and you get those pangs of regret and thoughts of what might have been.
"Leaving Liverpool was the first decision I'd made in my life, in more than 20 years, that was for the good of Kenny Dalglish and the Dalglish family, and not the football club."
Having come to terms with the end of his own reign in the Liverpool hotseat, Dalglish is now a firm supporter of the current regime and would love nothing more than seeing Rafa Benitez lead the Reds to Wembley.
"I'd love to see Rafa leading Liverpool out of the tunnel at Wembley for the first time. Hell, I'd love to play in the game myself," added the 57-year-old.
"I've got great memories of playing there. It's a competition that we've done well in in the past and it's a ground where we have had some tremendous results.
"I've never even been to Wembley since it was re-done and it would be great for me personally to go back to watch Steven lead the teams out."
King Kenny admits to being bemused by the mentality of some clubs that see the FA Cup as a distraction.
"For me, it's a crying shame," he said. "I'm a Cup romantic and I love the competition. It's just so different to when we played.
"Maybe it's because I'm not in the game that I see it this way. If I was involved on a day to day basis and saw a club's bottom line and budget I'd understand it better.
"But all I care about is Liverpool. Rafa doesn't seem to care about prioritising his competitions too much - if there's a trophy to be won then the Liverpool boss will push his team towards it.
"That's the Liverpool way."
Eighteen years have passed since the fateful night in March 1991 where the Reds drew 4-4 with the Blues in a Cup replay now firmly etched in derby folklore.
The local rivals not only produced one of the finest games in the competition's history, but it proved to be the Scot's final match in charge as Liverpool manager.
The Reds legend stunned the football fraternity after announcing his resignation as the dust was still settling on one of the greatest derbies in living memory.
Dalglish told the official LFC magazine: "I knew that night that I had to go. After we took the lead for the final time, I was standing on the touchline and I knew that I had to make a change to shore things up at the back.
"I could see what had to be done, and what would happen if I didn't do it, but I didn't act on what I knew I had to do. That was the moment I knew.
"The wife was busy planning my 40th birthday, and I just came in that night and told her I was done. I needed the break. I was shattered and Marina was stunned.
"I never fell out of love with the game, even now I still love it and you get those pangs of regret and thoughts of what might have been.
"Leaving Liverpool was the first decision I'd made in my life, in more than 20 years, that was for the good of Kenny Dalglish and the Dalglish family, and not the football club."
Having come to terms with the end of his own reign in the Liverpool hotseat, Dalglish is now a firm supporter of the current regime and would love nothing more than seeing Rafa Benitez lead the Reds to Wembley.
"I'd love to see Rafa leading Liverpool out of the tunnel at Wembley for the first time. Hell, I'd love to play in the game myself," added the 57-year-old.
"I've got great memories of playing there. It's a competition that we've done well in in the past and it's a ground where we have had some tremendous results.
"I've never even been to Wembley since it was re-done and it would be great for me personally to go back to watch Steven lead the teams out."
King Kenny admits to being bemused by the mentality of some clubs that see the FA Cup as a distraction.
"For me, it's a crying shame," he said. "I'm a Cup romantic and I love the competition. It's just so different to when we played.
"Maybe it's because I'm not in the game that I see it this way. If I was involved on a day to day basis and saw a club's bottom line and budget I'd understand it better.
"But all I care about is Liverpool. Rafa doesn't seem to care about prioritising his competitions too much - if there's a trophy to be won then the Liverpool boss will push his team towards it.
"That's the Liverpool way."
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