EXCLUSIVE
Liverpool need a younger coach to replace Jurgen Klopp and he’s already in the Premier League
Liverpool may have missed out on Xabi Alonso, but Wolves' Gary O'Neil could be the right man to replace Jurgen Klopp.
That's according to talkSPORT's Troy Deeney, who believes the Reds' next appointment should be a younger coach to ease any high expectations of winning the Premier League.
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Klopp shockingly announced in January that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine hugely successful years at Anfield.
Alonso was quick to become a heavy favourite to replace him but he has since reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen.
Following the news, Deeney suggested Wolves head coach O'Neil could be the man to kick-start the post-Klopp era at Liverpool.
"They've got a culture now," he told Majestic on The Final Word on talkSPORT. "We heard an Arsenal caller earlier talking about how the club had been away for seven or eight years.
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"But now they're here to stay because [manager Mikel] Arteta has had to build that. I think it's already there. You're inheriting people that are used to winning, they're all internationals, they're used to winning.
The two then highlighted David Moyes' struggle when he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, a season after guiding them to Premier League glory.
"I'm going to throw a name at you - I think [Liverpool] need a coach next year more than a manager, so I'm going to say Gary O'Neil."
Since taking over in August, O'Neil has impressively led Wolves into the top half of the Premier League table and three points off the European spots.
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talkSPORT understands he is set to snub an offer from Manchester United and Wolves want to secure his future, but Deeney believes he would be a good fit at Liverpool.
"The reason I say Gary O'Neil is because I think Liverpool are going to be with a really young squad next year," he added.
Ray Parlour warns Liverpool about making the same mistake Manchester United made once Sir Alex Ferguson left
"If the rumours are are to be believed, three or four of the big players could move on and they could be left with a real young squad.
"I think it could be a team that needs a younger coach who's used to working with younger players with not too much expectation to go and win the league. If someone like [Brighton boss Roberto] De Zerbi came in, we'd expect Liverpool to still be in the top four."
With Alonso now out of the running, Liverpool's search for Klopp's successor is set to continue ahead of the new season.
Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim and De Zerbi are among the rumoured names, as well as German national team boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Should Deeney's proposal somehow come to fruition though, then it would signal the latest step in O'Neil's impressive managerial rise.
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