Gérard Houllier sits down in his chic Paris apartment, a clubbed forehand away from Roland Garros, and exhales deeply. The room is tastefully decorated with exhibits which would not look out of place at the nearby Pompidou Centre, scattered alongside the sort of mementos which can only be accumulated from a longstanding career as a member of football’s executive class.

And yet there is something playing on Houllier's mind. "You know, when I go back to Liverpool I am surprised when the people are so nice to me," he says, a hint of melancholy lowering his voice as he reflects on the club that was his home for six years.

It seems an odd admission. Houllier's Anfield CV is studded with successes, including a Uefa Cup, an FA Cup and two League Cups, plus multiple top-four finishes. So, why the surprise at such goodwill?

Houllier, now 72, gives a coy shrug, as if he believes a couple of unfulfilling final years overshadowed the broader, innovative contribution. It does not take long, however, for his mood to lift.

“It is nice to go to Anfield and hear people speak so fondly of the European nights we started to bring back,” he says. “The self-belief and pride returned to the club. Liverpool is not like any other city. It suffered a lot for many years. Winning a European trophy – the Uefa Cup – after 16 years and after the long ban meant something. We were on the European map and world map again.