Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed that Jose Mourinho was close to taking over the reins at Anfield a decade ago.
While at Porto, Mourinho was heavily linked with succeeding Gerard Houllier before the club appointed Rafael Benitez and Rodgers insists that there was a chance the 51-year-old would have moved to Merseyside.
He told The Mirror: "There is no doubt that there was a period back in the early 2000s, that this club was a possibility for him.
"Maybe resources were different and he had a better opportunity to go elsewhere but make no mistake, he knows the size and prestige of Liverpool.
"There has been a history there, what with the rivalry and it was a great rivalry between the clubs, but beneath it all he knows the power of Liverpool for sure."
Rodgers's Liverpool will take a massive step towards lifting the Premier League title if they beat Mourinho's Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.
Chris O'Keefe
