On Tuesday there were rumors and reports that Wolverhampton’s Gary O’Neil had been interviewed as a possible candidate to take over from Jürgen Klopp at Anfield.
That’s not true, according to James Pearce in The Athletic.
O’Neil began his career as assistant to Barry Lewtas for Liverpool’s Under-21 team in 2020, before moving on to Bournemouth. There he worked as a first-team coach when Jonathan Woodgate was manager, and as an assistant to Scott Parker, before being hired as temporary and permanent manager in the 2022/23 season.
Got fired by Hughes
Perhaps it is the link to Richard Hughes, who is Liverpool’s new sporting director, which is the reason why O’Neil has been linked.
It was Hughes who gave O’Neil the manager’s job both temporarily and permanently at Bournemouth, but it was also Hughes who sacked O’Neil after they had kept their place after a very impressive season last year.
O’Neil was replaced by Andoni Iraola last summer. Less than two months later, he had a new Premier League job, taking over Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-year contract when Julen Lopetegui left Wolves after a disagreement with the board.
Wolves are having an impressive season, and are in 11th place in the Premier League, a point behind Brighton.
Liverpool will face Wolverhampton in the final league round on May 19, in what will be Jürgen Klopp’s very last Liverpool match, but not a meeting with the club’s incoming manager.
