You can take the man out of Liverpool. But you can never take Liverpool out of the manager.
Certainly not in the case of Gerard Houllier.
The former Reds boss, now 72, spent six years in charge at Anfield.
Despite making a huge impact at international level in France and presiding over league wins with both PSG and Lyon, there is a palpable sense Liverpool will always be his club.
Perhaps even his adopted home, too.
Houllier watches his old team now purely as "a fan, a supporter", without the critical eye that looked on from the dugout between 1998 and 2004.
Yet an enduring connection to Merseyside will forever remain.
Houllier explains: "It is special. In Liverpool you've got to be ready to give a lot of effort for what you do. To be totally committed.
"And once you have been in Liverpool, you feel something special about the club. About the people. About the fans."
The crowning glory of Houllier's tenure was the famous treble season, which saw the Reds land three cups amid a remarkable run of trophy gathering in 2001.
The League Cup was lifted in February after a shootout victory against Birmingham City. A Michael Owen-inspired turnaround secured the FA Cup in May with a 2-1 win over Arsenal. And just four days later, Alaves were vanquished in a wild 5-4 clash to claim the UEFA Cup
Does Houllier consider 2000/01 to be his finest campaign in management? "Yeah," he admits. "But we would have liked to win the title on top of that!
"We finished third that year and second the following season. Liverpool's DNA is about silverware. About winning things. Winning the League Cup [in 2001] gave confidence to get to the other finals.
"Winning the UEFA Cup was huge because it was a long time since Liverpool had won a cup in Europe. That was important. You could see the pride of the people in the street.
The team, the club, the people, the players, the staff...we put Liverpool back on the European map. That's what it meant."
Houllier was keenly aware of the rich history he was tasked with preserving and progressing at Liverpool. And from the outset, he knew he held a unique place in it.
Reflecting on his Anfield arrival, the Frenchman says: "I was following the boot room tradition.
"Bill Shankly, then when Shankly goes Bob Paisley. Paisley goes, Joe Fagan. Fagan to Kenny Dalglish. Graeme Souness and after him Roy Evans.
"Me coming in was special because it was the first foreign coach. After that you had Rafa Benitez and now Jurgen Klopp."
While 2001 was to be the high point of his spell as the league proved elusive, Houllier oversaw changes off the pitch that propelled Liverpool into the modern era.
And that process rightly figures almost as significantly as trophy count when he assesses his reign.
Houllier says: "When you're a manager you need three things. You need to have results, you need to leave a legacy, and also you need to make players and the team improve.
"When I left there was a team in the Champions League spots. There was a different habit and a different tradition of preparing the team and approaching competitions.
"In terms of diet and looking after ourselves, we changed things which helped to be more competitive. There were new facilities with the new Melwood.
"Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or. Players like Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy, Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey...they all improved when we were together there.
"And of course Steven Gerrard. I saw him when he was 17-and-a-half. He started training and playing with the first team. He became captain at the age of 23. That tells you everything."
Plenty of ex-Reds stars still speak of Houllier with glowing reverence. His teacher-like, almost paternal presence clearly left a mark on numerous careers.
How did he approach his relationship with the squad? He says: "Players need somebody who knows where he is going and what he wants to do. They follow somebody who has a vision.
"And they need 'tough love'. You've got to be tough sometimes but you've got to love them. They need to understand that they can rely on you in case of a problem.
"But you love them. Jurgen is a good demonstration of that as well."
Many fans point to the summer of 2002 - when El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou were signed - as a crucial juncture when Liverpool struggled to kick on and bolster their success.
But for Houllier there is another much more personal 'what if?' moment that defined his later years with the club.
When asked if he would change anything about his time at Anfield, he replies: "If I could have avoided the heart problem that I had, yes.
"Maybe you have some regrets - you think you might have signed such-and-such a player. But in the end we did well.
"In five years we won six trophies which is not too bad.
"Maybe I was a good turning point in the history of the club. I came at the right time, as [former chairman] Mr David Moores said, to 'bring the club into the 21st century'. In terms of attitude, habits, and the way of training and developing players.
"The people at Liverpool are special. They give you time to do things. We needed to change some things and they backed me to do it."
When Houllier suffered his illness during the game against Leeds in October 2001, assistant manager Phil Thompson assumed control in a caretaker role.
Almost a decade later, Thompson opened up on those months and Houllier's eventual return, saying: "Above all it shouldn't be forgotten that [Gerard] nearly gave his life for Liverpool, just so he could make the club great again."
How does Houllier himself look back on that period now?
"I took a high risk in coming back too early," he admits. "But we had a deal with Phil.
"Phil was in charge of the team at the time and I said: 'Maybe I will come back for the Roma game. It might give a bit of a boost to the team'. He said 'definitely'.
"But in hindsight I can say it was far too early. Only five months later..."
Houllier adds: "The fans are special in Liverpool. I will never forget that. Whether they support Everton or Liverpool. They all wished me well when I fell ill.
"It's a special city with really privileged fans. That's why it is a real reward for them with Klopp winning the title."
A league triumph may have been narrowly out of grasp for Houllier the manager.
But Houllier the “supporter” will relish number 19 as much as any dedicated Kopite in the city he still adores.
Certainly not in the case of Gerard Houllier.
The former Reds boss, now 72, spent six years in charge at Anfield.
Despite making a huge impact at international level in France and presiding over league wins with both PSG and Lyon, there is a palpable sense Liverpool will always be his club.
Perhaps even his adopted home, too.
Houllier watches his old team now purely as "a fan, a supporter", without the critical eye that looked on from the dugout between 1998 and 2004.
Yet an enduring connection to Merseyside will forever remain.
Houllier explains: "It is special. In Liverpool you've got to be ready to give a lot of effort for what you do. To be totally committed.
"And once you have been in Liverpool, you feel something special about the club. About the people. About the fans."
The crowning glory of Houllier's tenure was the famous treble season, which saw the Reds land three cups amid a remarkable run of trophy gathering in 2001.
The League Cup was lifted in February after a shootout victory against Birmingham City. A Michael Owen-inspired turnaround secured the FA Cup in May with a 2-1 win over Arsenal. And just four days later, Alaves were vanquished in a wild 5-4 clash to claim the UEFA Cup
Does Houllier consider 2000/01 to be his finest campaign in management? "Yeah," he admits. "But we would have liked to win the title on top of that!
"We finished third that year and second the following season. Liverpool's DNA is about silverware. About winning things. Winning the League Cup [in 2001] gave confidence to get to the other finals.
"Winning the UEFA Cup was huge because it was a long time since Liverpool had won a cup in Europe. That was important. You could see the pride of the people in the street.
The team, the club, the people, the players, the staff...we put Liverpool back on the European map. That's what it meant."
Houllier was keenly aware of the rich history he was tasked with preserving and progressing at Liverpool. And from the outset, he knew he held a unique place in it.
Reflecting on his Anfield arrival, the Frenchman says: "I was following the boot room tradition.
"Bill Shankly, then when Shankly goes Bob Paisley. Paisley goes, Joe Fagan. Fagan to Kenny Dalglish. Graeme Souness and after him Roy Evans.
"Me coming in was special because it was the first foreign coach. After that you had Rafa Benitez and now Jurgen Klopp."
While 2001 was to be the high point of his spell as the league proved elusive, Houllier oversaw changes off the pitch that propelled Liverpool into the modern era.
And that process rightly figures almost as significantly as trophy count when he assesses his reign.
Houllier says: "When you're a manager you need three things. You need to have results, you need to leave a legacy, and also you need to make players and the team improve.
"When I left there was a team in the Champions League spots. There was a different habit and a different tradition of preparing the team and approaching competitions.
"In terms of diet and looking after ourselves, we changed things which helped to be more competitive. There were new facilities with the new Melwood.
"Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or. Players like Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy, Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey...they all improved when we were together there.
"And of course Steven Gerrard. I saw him when he was 17-and-a-half. He started training and playing with the first team. He became captain at the age of 23. That tells you everything."
Plenty of ex-Reds stars still speak of Houllier with glowing reverence. His teacher-like, almost paternal presence clearly left a mark on numerous careers.
How did he approach his relationship with the squad? He says: "Players need somebody who knows where he is going and what he wants to do. They follow somebody who has a vision.
"And they need 'tough love'. You've got to be tough sometimes but you've got to love them. They need to understand that they can rely on you in case of a problem.
"But you love them. Jurgen is a good demonstration of that as well."
Many fans point to the summer of 2002 - when El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou were signed - as a crucial juncture when Liverpool struggled to kick on and bolster their success.
But for Houllier there is another much more personal 'what if?' moment that defined his later years with the club.
When asked if he would change anything about his time at Anfield, he replies: "If I could have avoided the heart problem that I had, yes.
"Maybe you have some regrets - you think you might have signed such-and-such a player. But in the end we did well.
"In five years we won six trophies which is not too bad.
"Maybe I was a good turning point in the history of the club. I came at the right time, as [former chairman] Mr David Moores said, to 'bring the club into the 21st century'. In terms of attitude, habits, and the way of training and developing players.
"The people at Liverpool are special. They give you time to do things. We needed to change some things and they backed me to do it."
When Houllier suffered his illness during the game against Leeds in October 2001, assistant manager Phil Thompson assumed control in a caretaker role.
Almost a decade later, Thompson opened up on those months and Houllier's eventual return, saying: "Above all it shouldn't be forgotten that [Gerard] nearly gave his life for Liverpool, just so he could make the club great again."
How does Houllier himself look back on that period now?
"I took a high risk in coming back too early," he admits. "But we had a deal with Phil.
"Phil was in charge of the team at the time and I said: 'Maybe I will come back for the Roma game. It might give a bit of a boost to the team'. He said 'definitely'.
"But in hindsight I can say it was far too early. Only five months later..."
Houllier adds: "The fans are special in Liverpool. I will never forget that. Whether they support Everton or Liverpool. They all wished me well when I fell ill.
"It's a special city with really privileged fans. That's why it is a real reward for them with Klopp winning the title."
A league triumph may have been narrowly out of grasp for Houllier the manager.
But Houllier the “supporter” will relish number 19 as much as any dedicated Kopite in the city he still adores.
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