New sporting director Richard Hughes was given a trip down memory lane at Liverpool’s autumn employee forum at Anfield.
Tuesday’s event, in the Main Stand’s Carlsberg Dugout sports bar, saw around 350 club staff from a wide range of departments come together for the afternoon.
To break the ice when Hughes took to the stage, the big screen showed footage of his winning goal against Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool for Portsmouth in an FA Cup fifth-round replay at Fratton Park in February 2004. The audience saw the funny side as Hughes joked that Liverpool were unfortunate, given how few goals (17) he scored in his 16-year career.
New head coach Arne Slot, who sat alongside the former Scotland international, was asked to analyse Hughes’ left-footed finish into the bottom corner before the relaxed pair answered questions on a range of subjects from staff members. Recording of the event was prohibited.
After such a promising start to a new era at Anfield, the mood was predictably upbeat.
The afternoon started with chief executive Billy Hogan and chief commercial officer Ben Latty talking about the flourishing business side of the club, before Liverpool FC Women managing director Russ Fraser and that team’s manager Matt Beard took their turn.
Then it was over to Hughes and…
