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• Fulham captain believes his manager has right personality
• ‘Liverpool need someone who understands the history’

Danny Murphy believes Roy Hodgson, his former manager at Fulham, is the ideal man to take charge of Liverpool. Hodgson was today confirmed as Rafael Benítez’s successor at Anfield on a three-year contract. Murphy believes that the return to an English manager – following the Frenchman Gérard Houllier and the Spaniard Benítez – is an important move for his former employers.

“Liverpool need someone who has an understanding of the history and heritage that lies behind the club and what it means in the context of English football,” he told the Daily Mirror. “People spoke about [José] Mourinho but I personally didn’t see him as an ideal fit with Liverpool because right now, they need someone who has an empathy for the club.

“I admire Roy Hodgson. He has a philosophy of playing good football which will fit well at Liverpool, and he gives players responsibility and a platform to work from. Maybe it is time Liverpool had an English manager who knows about the club.”

Murphy has flourished as the Fulham captain under Hodgson and has nothing but praise for a man who has previously managed, among others, Internazionale, Blackburn Rovers, Switzerland and Finland.

“Roy is a talented manager who succeeds because he works incredibly hard,” he added. “He instils confidence in his players and has a style the players can enjoy. His success has been a mix of a lot of things, but primarily hard work.

“He has real tactical knowledge too – in a way it has come from Roy’s Italian [managerial] roots, it is an Italian style.”

Roy HodgsonLiverpoolguardian.co.uk