• Premier League

Dalglish denies failure as Liverpool boss

Kenny Dalglish admits he was hurt by being sacked as Liverpool boss © Getty Images

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Kenny Dalglish believes he over-achieved in his final season as Liverpool manager, suggesting he deserved more credit for guiding the team to two Cup finals at Wembley.

Liverpool won the Carling Cup before losing narrowly to Chelsea in the FA Cup Final in a thrilling end to the 2011-12 campaign, but it was not enough to save the Anfield legend from losing his job.

Now Dalglish has claimed the current Liverpool side would welcome a similar outcome to this current season under manager Brendan Rodgers, even though he admits the club need to secure a return to the Champions League sooner rather than later.

"What those boys achieved in 2012 was fantastic. To win the Carling Cup and to get to an FA Cup final was beyond any expectations," Dalglish told the Daily Mirror. "Liverpool is a massive football club and they had not won anything for six years when I got there, but we won something in our first season.

"People will turn around and say we finished eighth in the league, but how many points would you swap for three Wembley trips? That League Cup was a trophy for Liverpool Football Club. I don't see that as anything but a positive. It's always pleasant to get a winner's medal.

"It might be more rewarding to qualify in Europe after finishing fourth, but who remembers that game when you finished fourth to get there? Winning a Cup final against Cardiff at Wembley and walking away with the Carling Cup was a day to remember.

"Yes, I would have loved to have finished fourth and I would have loved to have won the Champions League and won the Premier League, but it was never going to be achieved overnight."

Even though Dalglish admitted he was hurt by his sacking by the club's current owners, he has confirmed he would return to the club if asked to fulfil an ambassadorial role in the future.

"I've always said that I'm happy to help Liverpool Football Club in whatever way I can and that hasn't changed in any way, shape or form," he added.

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