Anfield legend Robbie Fowler says the time may be right for Liverpool FC boss Rafa Benitez to leave the club.
The future of Benitez has been the subject of much speculation in recent months following a below-par campaign that saw Liverpool FC finish seventh in the Barclays Premier League and miss out on a Champions League place.
With owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks also now searching for a new buyer there is much uncertainty surrounding the club and Fowler - who was brought back to Anfield by Benitez four years ago - thinks the time may be right for him to move on.
"With Rafa, what you see is what you get. I think he’s quite shrewd and keeps everything to himself," Fowler said.
"I was always grateful to him for bringing me back, so I always have a bit of a soft spot for him, but at the end of the day it’s a big club and no one is bigger than the club.
"First and foremost we want to be winning trophies and to be the top dogs. It’s a tricky situation. I don’t want to be sat here saying he has got to go - everyone is entitled to their opinion.
"I just want Liverpool to do well, whether it’s Rafa there or someone else there I don’t really mind. First and foremost Liverpool is Liverpool and I think we deserve to be top of the table every year.
"Whoever is in charge has a big job on their hands."
With his own playing days coming to a close, Fowler revealed he is looking to turn to coaching himself and has ambitiously pointed to the top job at Anfield as his dream appointment.
The 35-year-old striker is currently playing in Australia’s domestic league where he is contracted for at least one more season with Perth Glory, so any move into coaching is still some way off.
Fowler is also yet to earn his coaching badges and while he admits his dream to manage Liverpool FC is "a million miles away" should it one day happen it would not be the first time he has made a shock return to a club where he is revered.
"When I do finish playing, the coaching side and the management side is something I would probably go down," he said.
"I would like to go down that route and in an ideal world I would go back to Liverpool.
"I’m a local lad and I’ve played for the club. I’m not saying for a second that I’m going to be the next manager, but it would be nice.
"I’m not kidding myself, I’m a million miles away from managing Liverpool.
"I’m still playing. Maybe in the future I’ll do all my badges and go through the lower leagues and become a manager that way.
"As a player you always aspire to be the best and as a manager you probably need to start at the bottom. Once you start on that little ladder then you can aspire to be the best and in terms of management you really can’t get higher than Liverpool."
The future of Benitez has been the subject of much speculation in recent months following a below-par campaign that saw Liverpool FC finish seventh in the Barclays Premier League and miss out on a Champions League place.
With owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks also now searching for a new buyer there is much uncertainty surrounding the club and Fowler - who was brought back to Anfield by Benitez four years ago - thinks the time may be right for him to move on.
"With Rafa, what you see is what you get. I think he’s quite shrewd and keeps everything to himself," Fowler said.
"I was always grateful to him for bringing me back, so I always have a bit of a soft spot for him, but at the end of the day it’s a big club and no one is bigger than the club.
"First and foremost we want to be winning trophies and to be the top dogs. It’s a tricky situation. I don’t want to be sat here saying he has got to go - everyone is entitled to their opinion.
"I just want Liverpool to do well, whether it’s Rafa there or someone else there I don’t really mind. First and foremost Liverpool is Liverpool and I think we deserve to be top of the table every year.
"Whoever is in charge has a big job on their hands."
With his own playing days coming to a close, Fowler revealed he is looking to turn to coaching himself and has ambitiously pointed to the top job at Anfield as his dream appointment.
The 35-year-old striker is currently playing in Australia’s domestic league where he is contracted for at least one more season with Perth Glory, so any move into coaching is still some way off.
Fowler is also yet to earn his coaching badges and while he admits his dream to manage Liverpool FC is "a million miles away" should it one day happen it would not be the first time he has made a shock return to a club where he is revered.
"When I do finish playing, the coaching side and the management side is something I would probably go down," he said.
"I would like to go down that route and in an ideal world I would go back to Liverpool.
"I’m a local lad and I’ve played for the club. I’m not saying for a second that I’m going to be the next manager, but it would be nice.
"I’m not kidding myself, I’m a million miles away from managing Liverpool.
"I’m still playing. Maybe in the future I’ll do all my badges and go through the lower leagues and become a manager that way.
"As a player you always aspire to be the best and as a manager you probably need to start at the bottom. Once you start on that little ladder then you can aspire to be the best and in terms of management you really can’t get higher than Liverpool."
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