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London - After sacking Brendan Rodgers following a disappointing start to the Premier League season, Liverpool are in the hunt for a new manager.
While the leading two candidates appear to be Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp, these are the next three in line to take over at Anfield.
1. Frank de Boer
Age: 45
Teams managed: Ajax (NED/2010-date)
Formerly a classy, ball-playing centre-back, De Boer led Ajax to four consecutive Eredivisie titles between 2010 and 2014 before finishing second behind PSV Eindhoven last season. While he lacks top-level experience, having never coached in the Champions League knockout phase, he has a proven track record when it comes to developing young players. In a BBC interview last week, he expressed interest in working in England and described Liverpool as a "fantastic club".
2. Ronald Koeman
Age: 52
Teams managed: Vitesse Arnhem (NED/2000-2001), Ajax (NED/2001-2005), Benfica (POR/2005-2006), PSV Eindhoven (NED/2006-2007), Valencia (ESP/2007-2008), AZ Alkmaar (NED/2009), Feyenoord (NED/2011-2014), Southampton (ENG/2014-date)
Since arriving at Southampton in 2014, Koeman has impressed by keeping the south-coast club punching above their weight despite the departures of several key players. They finished seventh in his first season and stunned defending champions Chelsea on Saturday with a superb 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. But he is barely a year into a three-year contract and does not appear to possess the 'X factor' that Liverpool are looking for in their next head coach.
3. Jurgen Klinsmann
Age: 51
Teams managed: Germany (2004-2006), Bayern Munich (GER/2008-2009), United States (2011-date)
A leftfield candidate, United States coach Klinsmann has been given odds of 20-1 to succeed Rodgers by British bookmakers. The 51-year-old knows about English football from his two spells with Tottenham Hotspur in the 1990s and laid the foundations for Germany's 2014 World Cup success during his two-year spell as national coach between 2004 and 2006. The former Germany striker led the United States out of a daunting group at the World Cup, but his only experience of club management was a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich that lasted less than a year.
