Liverpool to honour Kenny Dalglish with renaming of Centenary Stand
Anfield’s Centenary Stand is set to be renamed as The Kenny Dalglish Stand in recognition of the Kop legend’s contribution to the club. The decision has been taken by owners Fenway Sports Group to honour Dalglish in Liverpool’s 125th anniversary year.
Reds principal owner John W Henry said: “It is testament to Liverpool’s history and status that we are not lacking in truly great individuals, whose names could easily grace a stand at Anfield.
“But in Kenny Dalglish we have a person who carries such immense significance to the fabric of this club, so it feels somewhat incumbent on us to recognise this in a manner that is befitting to the man.
“He is unique, not just to Liverpool, but to the game in England as a whole, having achieved greatness as a player and then enjoyed such success as a manager. His record and trophies won on both fronts speak for themselves.
“However, Kenny’s contribution to Liverpool goes beyond goals scored, points amassed and silverware placed in the cabinet. His values are Liverpool’s values – he represents what is best about this football club. “The leadership and solace he gave to individuals, the club and city as it tried to come to terms with the trauma and tragedy of Hillsborough transcended sporting achievement.
“His name is synonymous with our club, with our home and the city of Liverpool. Now it will be as visible as it is palpable.”
Dalglish currently holds the position of a non-executive director on the Liverpool board. His association with Liverpool started in 1977 when Liverpool manager Bob Paisley paid a British transfer record of £440,000 to bring him from Celtic. He went on to score 172 goals in 515 appearances and have two successful spells as manager. In total, he lifted eight league championships, three European Cups, two FA Cups, five League Cups and one UEFA Super Cup.
The official renaming ceremony will take place later this year.
Barcelona plot third Coutinho move
Barcelona are reportedly plotting a third approach for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho. Two of Barcelona previous offers have been turned away by Liverpool. Liverpool are reluctant to sell their key player, who only committed his future again back in January. However, it is reported that Liverpool are willing to listen to offers of around £51million.
The 24-year-old would apparently request an annual salary of £5.5m. Reports also claimed that preliminary talks have begun with the attacker’s agent Kia Joorabchian.
Liverpool set to play European heavyweights in pre-season tournament in Munich
Liverpool will compete in the Audi Cup in August, as part of their summer of preparations for the 2017/18 campaign. The pre-season tournament will be held at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, and the tournament will also include Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, and AC Milan.
The tournament is set to be held on August 1 and 2, formed of two semi-finals on the first day, and a final and third-place playoff on the second. Prior to the tournament, Liverpool will travel to Sydney for a friendly on May 24. The reds will fly to Hong Kong for the Premier League Asia Trophy in July as well.
Klopp is also planning a training camp in Germany, with a friendly clash with Hertha Berlin mooted. It is also likely that the Reds will also line up some domestic friendlies before the start of the new season.