BRENDAN RODGERS: It was an honour to manage Liverpool

In a statement issued through the League Managers’ Association, the 42-year-old wished the Anfield side and his successor well.

Rodgers was sacked by the Merseyside giants after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with rivals Everton.

“I am, of course, incredibly disappointed to be leaving Liverpool Football Club. It has been both an honour and a privilege to manage one of the game’s great clubs for the last three years,” he said.

“I have worked every day to represent the club to the best of my ability, to develop both individual players and a team that the club’s magnificent fans can be proud of. There have been some very memorable moments during my time at Liverpool and I would like to thank all of the players for their hard work and commitment. The current squad is one in transition, but they have some real talent and are showing a strong sense of togetherness. I expect to see them continue to grow and develop over the coming weeks and I wish them and my successor well for the rest of the season.”

The Carnlough native took over at the Reds in June 2012 and steered them to seventh spot in his first season. He followed that up with a second-place finish in the 2013-14 campaign but last year he failed to guide the team to a Champions League place, having to settle for sixth.