O’Toole: I can do better than this

When Brendan Rodgers first knotted his tie as a professional football manager, as Watford boss in November 2008, Ireland U21 midfielder John O’Toole had a ringside view – making a second half appearance as a sub.

Watford drew with Doncaster, and Rodgers would win only two of his first 10 league games as boss – a run that convinced O’Toole that the Antrim man, so impressive on the coaching paddock, should go back to the tracksuit and leave the managerial stuff to someone else.

Fast forward five-and-a-half years and Rodgers is still in with a chance of, incredibly, leading Liverpool to a first top-flight title in 25 years.