More coaching shake-up's brings Dalglish return closer

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is continuing his summer shake up of the academy with the departure of four of his coaches reports the Mail. “Gary Ablett is being replaced as reserve team manager after three years, another former player, Hugh McAuley, who guided the under 18s to the FA Youth Cup Final is also departing. Youth coaches Dave Lever and Dave Shannon are also leaving. Frank McParland will return to oversee the backroom set-up and former Barcelona and Olympiakos coach Jose Segura is taking over as Academy Director.” The wholesale changes appear to pave the way for Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish to return to the club as an “advisor or ambassador” claims the article. The story also states that “popular former midfielder Gary McAllister is also being linked with a coaching role.”

Academy director Hamberg’s departure clears way for Dalglish return

Liverpool Academy technical director Piet Hamberg (pictured right) is to leave the club at the end of the season reports the BBC. Hamberg, 55, joined Liverpool's academy in Kirkby two years ago from Swiss club Grasshoppers Zurich, where he was manager and technical director. The Dutchman, who replaced Steve Heighway in 2007, also had a playing spell at Ajax in the 1980s.

Hamberg's departure clearly opens the door for former manager Kenny Dalglish to return to the club. Dalglish has made no secret of the fact that he would be delighted to return to Liverpool "in whatever capacity".

Club captain Steven Gerrard would also love to see the man voted Liverpool’s greatest ever player return. Speaking to the Mirror recently he said "My first response to the news was, 'Great, get him in now' because the man is a legend. It's a great idea to get Kenny in because it would give the club a massive lift."

"Put it this way, if I was a young player again and a number of clubs wanted to sign me, if Kenny Dalglish came to me and asked me to sign for Liverpool then there is only one place I would go."

The Academy is expected to have major changes over the summer. Rafa Benitez recently appointed former Reds chief scout Frank McParland as Academy Director. It is believed the Reds boss has been far from happy with the youth set-up for some time, speaking recently in the Echo he said “Our idea for the Academy was very simple – to keep the things that are working well but also to change the things which we think that we can do better. I think that the young players will be really pleased with the changes that we are making and I think it will not be long before the improvements become very clear. Okay, we will need to see some time to see the results of everything but it will be clear from the very beginning that things will be a little bit different.”