Kenny Dalglish has named Lucas Leiva are among the best players he ever managed.
The Liverpool icon returned to the Anfield dugout for a second time in 2011 and spent 18 months at the helm.
Earlier as a manager he'd led Alan Shearer and Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995.
In his secondcoming at Liverpool he worked alongside fellow Kop great Steven Gerrard whilst also signing Luis Suarez.
But Lucas left his mark on Dalglish, who remained open minded when quizzed on who the best player he managed was.
He claimed that qualities beyond those you see on the pitch often make a great player - a category that Lucas fell in to.
Dalglish said on YouTube: “It depends how you define best, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the best player, people make huge contributions in many ways that the punter doesn’t get to see.
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“You see what they can do on the pitch, Steven [Gerrard], Luis [Suarez], Alan Shearer you mention the names and that’s the names that come to your mind because they were brilliant and their ability to play football was fantastic and their honesty and integrity in the games they played in were great as well and the contribution they gave to the team but you look at Lucas Leiva.
“By the way, Lucas was brilliant and you look what goes on in the dressing room and you need a really good dressing room to be led by really strong people in there and they’re not always the best players”.
Lucas, now 35 and playing with Lazio, spent a decade at Liverpool from 2007.
He worked under several different managers including Dalglish, Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp.
The Brazilian made 346 appearances for the Reds, scoring seven times.
His only honour on Merseyside came under Dalglish when Liverpool won the League Cup in 2012.
Lucas left shortly before Klopp led the club to European and Premier League success, but has no regrets about departing when he did.
“My son, my family, we are Liverpool fans now," he said in 2020.
“It’s a great achievement and I’m just really happy because so many people there I am still in touch with and still care a lot about.
“Of course, you always think, ‘Had I waited one more year…’ but, to be honest, I wasn’t happy. When you are not happy it makes no sense so, to be honest, it’s better I see Liverpool winning and I’m happy as well playing.
“As a fan I’m really happy. Of course, I would like to have won it but I won it as a fan, let’s say.
