For the first time since he left his coaching role at Chelsea to take charge of Watford in November 2008, Brendan Rodgers finds himself out of work.
The Northern Irishman had spent the last three-and-a-half years in charge of Liverpool, but it was his failure to win a trophy at Anfield that ultimately defined his tenure, which ended in the sack on Sunday evening.
Pictures have since shown that Rodgers has retreated to Spain while the dust settles, but what will be his next move when he is ready to return to management? Here, Sports Mole has assessed the options that may be available to the 42-year-old.
1. Premier League
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One would assume that Rodgers's number one choice will be to remain in England's top flight, both for football and financial reasons. But, right now at least, there is unlikely to be a job that whets his appetite.
The manager's job at Sunderland is currently available, while Tim Sherwood and Steve McClaren appear to be under pressure at Aston Villa and Newcastle United respectively. However, Rodgers is bound to have aspirations of managing at the top end of the Premier League, which is understandable given that he has just spent time in charge of one of Europe's biggest clubs.
Yet, with the situation as it currently is, he will have to wait for such a position. His allegiance to Liverpool means that he will never be a contender for the Manchester United or Everton posts, while Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino seems to be safe at White Hart Lane. There have been doubts over both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho of late, but the fact that Rodgers did not win a trophy at Liverpool is likely to count against him if and when the Arsenal and Chelsea jobs become available. With the greatest of respect, he may have to set his sights a little lower if he is to find himself another job in the Premier League.
2. La Liga
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The big question is has Rodgers's reputation been tarnished so much that he needs to move abroad in order to restore it? It's something that David Moyes felt necessary after he left Man United and while his Anfield stint was not as harrowing as that, a change of scenery may appeal to Rodgers.
Unlike Moyes when he made the switch to Real Socieded, Rodgers has a decent grasp of the Spanish language and has previously spoken of his desire to work out there when he told AS last year: "I've studied Spanish, but I need to improve. I'll probably improve when I work in the country one day. For most people, when they travel to a country their language becomes better. One day hopefully it can take me to Spain and I can experience a wonderful country, culture and as I said, some wonderful football club."
Barcelona and Real Madrid are unlikely to come calling, but he may be tempting for clubs in the echelon below that. If reports are to be believed Nuno Espirito Santo is under pressure at Valencia and with Phil Neville already on the coaching staff at the Mestalla, Rodgers may find that he has an allay.
3. Eredivisie
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McClaren may be struggling on Tyneside at present, following on from his failure to get a talented Derby County squad promoted, but his stint in the Netherlands certainly did him no harm after the England debacle.
FC Twente had never won the Eredivisie title prior to McClaren's arrival and they haven't lifted it since his departure. It's a league that may not be able to lure the big players and the greatest managers, but Rodgers is known to have modelled some of his coaching style on the great Dutch teams of the 1970s.
The big three clubs (PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and Ajax) all have managers in place at present, but Frank de Boer, who is in charge of the latter, is consistently linked with a move away. Not only are Ajax a big name, it would also provide Rodgers with perhaps his best chance to prove that he is capable of guiding a team to major honours.
4. England
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For Roy Hodgson to remain in his role as the head coach of the Three Lions, he is going to have to guide the team to at least the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and even that might not be enough to save the 68-year-old if the Football Association decide to take things in a different, more modern direction.
Talking of Hodgson, he is living proof that being given the boot by Liverpool does not necessarily have a negative impact on your standing in the eyes of the FA. A report yesterday claimed that Rodgers would be on the FA's shortlist should the role become available next summer, along with a number of other English and homegrown candidates.
It could actually be a role that suits Rodgers, given that it centres a lot around pure coaching. Speculation of late has also suggested that bosses at the FA were impressed with the developments that the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge made under his guidance on Merseyside, which could also count in his favour.
Liam Apicella
