Kenny Dalglish could land the Liverpool manager’s job beyond this season, chairman Tom Werner has hinted.
Kop legend Dalglish was handed the reins until the end of the season after the club parted company with Roy Hodgson earlier this month.
Supporters had been calling for Dalglish’s return in the final few weeks of Hodgson’s reign, and many are eager to see the Scot be given the job permanently.
Dalglish, who guided the Reds to their last top-flight title in 1990, has also received the backing of captain Steven Gerrard, and now Reds chief Werner has hinted the 59-year-old’s second spell as Liverpool boss could last longer than the final few months of the current campaign.
Werner told Sky Sports News: “You have to be thinking for the long-term. We're tough and we're hopefully looking out, not just for the club in the short-term but for the long-term.
“You don't like to sack anybody but I think it was time to move forward in a different direction.
“He (Dalglish) is, as everybody knows, an iconic figure in out club's history. He's got many of the qualities that we've admired.
“He's competent; he certainly understands the club's philosophy, he's excellent at man-management. And we've been very pleased with the progress.
“It's obviously quick and he's only been on the job for a short term, but he's quite aware of the challenge.
“The players are quite supportive of Kenny and I've been very impressed with him.
“I don't like to play hunches, but he certainly is a candidate and he understood that it was a short-term position; but he's certainly done everything not just to impress us, but our fans and players.”
Werner then went on to praise former boss Hodgson, saying: “Roy is a good man and a good manager.
“There are times in sport when you say 'this is not the right fit. Obviously nobody could have been happy with our performance and we all take a certain responsibility for that – the players, the manager and the executives.
“We expected that our club's fortunes would improve and at some point I think you have to say it's important to stabilise the situation, turn the page and move forward in a different direction.
“I wish Roy the best; I have great respect for him. And I think we handled the situation with a certain amount of dignity.”