The King Returns!

Jamie Zawinski SG

Liverpool legend Dalglish takes dual role at Anfield

Kenny Dalglish is returning to Liverpool to take up a senior role in their academy and as a global ambassador for the club.

The Scot made his name as a player at Anfield before going on to become manager with equal success.

Dalglish has maintained an abiding affection for the club and the feeling is mutual.

Dalglish was a successful player and manager at Liverpool

Not only will he be nurturing Liverpool's talented youngsters, he will also work with the commercial side of the business around the world.

Manager Rafael Benitez was keen to have Dalglish on board and believes his input will help Liverpool in the long-term.

Managing director Christian Purslow said: "In our very first meeting Rafa and I agreed that we wanted to try and bring Kenny back to the club.

"That would help Rafa really drive forward our academy, which is at the heart of our plans for the future.

"We are delighted he has agreed to join us and I am sure he will be very successful in his new role back at the club.''

Dalglish 54, was the last manager to deliver a title to Liverpool in 1990.

He also achieved that feat in 1986 - when the club won the double - and 1988, all three triumphs coming when he was still registered as a player.

The FA Cup was secured in 1989 but he stunned Liverpool by resigning in February 1991.

Dalglish then went on to manage Blackburn, where he also won the title, Newcastle and Celtic.

He arrived from Parkhead in 1977 as a replacement for Kevin Keegan and went on to score 172 goals in 515 games for Liverpool.

During that time they lifted the European Cup three times in 1978, 1981 and 1984 - and his legendary status among the Kop faithful was secured.

Jamie Zawinski SG

DALGLISH IN NUMBERS

To celebrate Kenny Dalglish's return to Liverpool Football Club, we've chronicled the great man's career in numbers.

440,000 pounds. That's how much Bob Paisley paid Celtic in August 1977. Dalglish was brought to the club to replace Kevin Keegan after his move to Hamburg

30,461 fans turned out for The King's testimonial at Anfield in 1990, helping raise in the region of £150,000 gate receipts. The Reds beat Real Sociedad 3-1

836 club games

515 Liverpool appearances

339 club goals

321 Celtic appearances

307 games in charge at Anfield

259 games to score 100 league goals

180 consecutive first-team appearances between 1977-78 and 80-81

172 Liverpool goals

167 Celtic goals

102 caps. On becoming the first Scot to make a century of appearances, Dalglish was presented with a silver cap by Franz Beckenbauer

97 minutes to score his first Liverpool goal. After failing to get on the scoresheet in the Charity Shield against Man Utd, King Kenny netted just seven minutes into his league debut versus Middlesbrough

41 goals for Celtic in 1972-73

38 years old when he played his last game for Liverpool, coming on as a sub for Jan Molby against Derby County in May 1990

37 games unbeaten as Liverpool manager from August 1987 to February 1988

37 goals for Cumbernauld United, Celtic's nursery side, during the 1967-68 season.

31 goals in his first season at Anfield

30 goals for Scotland - a record shared with Denis Law

23 goals in just 49 appearances during his first season as a regular at Celtic

19 pieces of major silverware in the Anfield trophy room, accumulated in just 13 seasons

15 Wembley appearances as a Liverpool player

15 years old when he first had a trial at Liverpool in 1966. He played in a B team match against Southport, but no transfer transpired

10 major trophies with Celtic

8 league championships with Liverpool; five as a player, three as player/manager

7 was The King's number

4 Manager of the Year awards with Liverpool and Blackburn

3 European Cup winner's medals

3 World Cups. He would have played in four had a knee injury not kept him out of Mexico '86

2 FA Cup final victories over Everton

2 Football Writers' Player of the Year awards

2 hat-tricks for Liverpool, against Wrexham and Man City

1 MBE

1 red card, against Benfica in 1984-85

1 Kenny Dalglish

Jamie Zawinski SG

Dalglish thanks Benitez for his second coming

Returning hero Kenny Dalglish has promised to make the most of his second chance with Liverpool.

Dalglish: The club's favourite son is set to take on an ambassadorial role
The Scot - branded 'King Kenny' by the Anfield faithful after winning eight league titles and three Europeans Cups with the Reds as a player and then manager - confirmed on Friday he has accepted a senior role in the club's academy and as a global ambassador for the Merseysiders.

He immediately revealed his gratitude towards manager Rafael Benitez for handing him an official position at Liverpool for the first time since he quit as boss in February 1991.

"I spoke to Rafa a few months ago, and things have progressed from there," Dalglish told Liverpool's official website.

"Now that it has come to fruition I am very excited, but also a bit nervous. For the boss to put his trust in me is a great compliment, and I am coming back as a very lucky person.

"When you leave a club you don't often have a chance to return, so I am fortunate for being given such a fantastic opportunity."

Dalglish's appointment is part of a wide-ranging revamp of the Liverpool academy, which has been criticised for failing to produce enough youngsters with first-team potential.

Frank McParland was brought is as director last month, and Dalglish is delighted to be part of the renewed focus on youth.

"Rafa has made a very brave decision to revamp the academy," he said.

"Everyone knows the most important team at the club is the first team, and we hope we can start producing players to challenge for a place in Rafa's plans."

Benitez, who has been criticised for often favouring fellow Spaniards for key positions at the club, believes the appointment of Dalglish shows he is sympathetic to Liverpool's glittering past.

"We are changing things at the academy; we are bringing in new ideas and new people - but we're keeping the spirit and the heart of the club," he said.

"Kenny has played for the club; he's managed the club; he's done everything. He's a fantastic signing."

Jamie Zawinski SG

Grenade found at Dalgish home

LIVERPOOL - A live hand grenade was found outside the Merseyside home of former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish.

The explosive device was discovered on Sunday night as police made searches in connection with an ongoing incident unconnected with the former Liverpool manager.

The Army's bomb disposal team were called to the address, in Southport, Merseyside, and the area was cordoned off for the public's safety.

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: "The device was removed and made safe and is currently undergoing forensic examination.

"Detectives believe this incident is linked to a series of other recent incidents in this area and not to the owner of the property where the device was found."

It is not known if anybody was at the Dalglish home, where the Liverpool legend lives with his wife Marina, when the alarm was raised at around 10.15pm.

A member of the public alerted police after seeing two men in the area. The men, aged in their 20s, were arrested a short time later on suspicion of witness intimidation.

Mr Dalglish was returning to Britain yesterday after attending the club's tour of the Far East, which included Sunday's game in Singapore. It was announced earlier this month that he had taken up a senior role at Liverpool's Academy.

The club said it had received no information about the incident and would not comment.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH