It was the departure that no one at Anfield saw coming.
In some form of strange irony, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will celebrate his Anfield homecoming against the team he last faced during his previous tenure at the helm of the Liverpool organization. Everton comes to Anfield on Sunday, and the match is sure to bring up some old memories for Dalglish.
Dalglish announced his sudden retirement from Liverpool in February of 1991, following an exhausting 4-4 draw with Everton at Goodison Park. Fans and players had no idea that just two days after the draw, Dalglish would be gone.
"In the dressing room after the 4-4 with Everton no one had an inkling of what was to follow," then-player Ray Houghton said, according to The Guardian. "Kenny was quiet afterwards but he was quite often quiet –- and, although we'd played very well, we had some dreadful defensive lapses. I got the impression he was pleased yet extremely disappointed."
It was more than just the loss to the Merseyside rivals that pushed Dalglish to an early retirement. It also had to do with the added stress of the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters that had weighed upon the manager. Though Dalglish was well-respected throughout Liverpool, the manager cited years after his resignation that he just "needed to get away from the pressure."
Nowadays, though, Dalglish is looking forward to going back to Anfield, a place that holds many special memories for the Reds' legend. While he's not talking much about the irony attached to the game, he said he's excited about facing the Kop.
"Anfield always has been and always will be special to me," Dalglish told The Guardian on Friday. "Whether I was in this position or I was just coming to watch, it has always been a special place. It will be emotive coming back down the steps. If the supporters are pleased to see me sitting there, they will not be as pleased as I am."
Though the moment will definitely spark some emotion and flashbacks for Dalglish, the Reds' manager said he won't let that get in the way of his ultimate goal — winning.
"It's all very well being romantic but the truth of the matter is we have got to start winning games. Me, the players, the staff, we are all responsible for trying to achieve that."
