Brendan Rodgers said he aimed to bring the glory days back to Liverpool after being appointed the new manager of the former kings of English football yesterday.
It is more than 20 years since Liverpool were last crowned champions of England, with the Merseysiders rarely challenging for the title in the intervening decades.
To make matters worse, it is arch-rivals Manchester United who have become the dominant force in English football, while Liverpool have also been overtaken by big-spenders Chelsea and current Premier League champions Manchester City.
But former Swansea manager Rodgers said Liverpool’s illustrious past, which includes five European Cups, was an inspiration and not a burden.
“That was the attraction, the history of the club,” Rodgers said yesterday.
“Also the frustration. It has been over 20 years since they won the title. We might not be ready for the title but the process begins today, it’s a new cycle, and that is something that we will work towards in the years to come.”
The 39-year-old Northern Irishman succeeds Kenny Dalglish, who was sacked last month after his second spell in charge ended with Liverpool finishing the season a massive 37 points behind Manchester City.
The Merseyside club’s American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), had given Dalglish more than £100 million to spend in the transfer market since he took over in 2011.
But expensive signings such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam have largely flopped although they did win the League Cup.
“I want to thank FSG for the opportunity to manage such a great club,” said Rodgers, whose Swansea side took four points off Liverpool last term.
“I’m really excited and I can’t wait to get started on this incredible project going forward. I promise to dedicate my life to fight for this club.”
Rodgers saw off competition for the post from Wigan manager Roberto Martinez and initially rejected Liverpool when he feared he was merely being included in a ‘beauty parade’ of candidates without being in pole position.
However, Rodgers said: “Once I had found out I was the number one target from the important people at Liverpool it was quite an easy decision.”