Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has praised his mentor Jose Mourinho as he prepares for another tough away task against Chelsea on Sunday.
"I probably would not be sat here today if it wasn't for him. He played a huge part and I think first of all the emotion when I speak in here but Jose is first and foremost is a friend. We, for the first time I met him, one evening in September in 2004, he obviously came to the club earlier on that summer and when I was invited to go there and speak with him and one or two others about their role at Chlesea, we headed off straight away and from that moment in time he gave me the self-esteem and the confidence that has prepared me greatly for the role I had to do."
Liverpool hope to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City when they travel to Chelsea who scored a nervy 1-0 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge.
Rodgers was angry with the officials after defeat to City at the Etihad and he could be in trouble with the FA for criticising the appointment of referee Lee Mason.
Mason lives in Bolton, near Manchester and Rodgers said he "was surprised" Liverpool played "in Manchester with a referee from Greater Manchester."
"There was obviously something that I will speak on and honestly on so as I said, whatever action they will take, they will decide so that is my feeling," he said.
The season reaches the halfway mark this weekend with Arsenal top with 39 points from 18 games, with eight teams still harbouring hopes of either a push for the title or the top four.
Manchester City are just a point behind the Gunners on 38, followed by Chelsea (37), Liverpool (36), Everton (34), Newcastle (33), Manchester United (31) and Tottenham Hotspur (31).
Only a point separates third place Chelsea from Liverpool who are fourth in the standings. Despite all rivalry between both clubs, Rodgers could not ignore how much influence opposing manager Jose Mourinho had in his career as the Liverpool boss remembered his early days when he joined the Portuguese after Mourinho took over at the London club, nine years ago.
"I probably would not be sat here today if it wasn't for him. He played a huge part and I think first of all the emotion when I speak in here but Jose is first and foremost is a friend," Rodgers told reporters about Mourinho.
"We, for the first time I met him, one evening in September in 2004, he obviously came to the club earlier on that summer and when I was invited to go there and speak with him and one or two others about their role at Chelsea, we headed off straight away and from that moment in time he gave me the self-esteem and the confidence that has prepared me greatly for the role I had to do," he added.
Rodgers showed sympathy to fellow manager Malky Mackay, who was sacked by Cardiff City seven months after winning promotion to the Premier League.