Brendan v Anton Rodgers: Our father and son FA Cup clash in lap of football gods



The Rodgers household will be divided for one day only on Sunday as father and son go head to head in the FA Cup.

Liverpool manager Brendan is favourite to reach round four but Oldham midfielder Anton has been plotting a surprise ever since fate paired them together.



It will be a special occasion at Anfield, and one that Brendan feels could be influenced by ‘the footballing gods’.

Son of a gun: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers (right) takes on his son Anton (left) when they play Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup at Anfield on Sunday Upset: Oldham's Matt Smith scores in Oldham's 3-2 win over Liverpool in last year's FA Cup fourth round

What were your emotions when the draw came through?

BRENDAN RODGERS: I was in the house, it was amazing really. I knew the draw was coming on but I was watching a different game that was on the TV. Anton was away seeing his son. I checked my phone and I saw all these texts from Lee Johnson and the chairman of Oldham and I recognised that we must have got them in the draw. It was brilliant. It is something that may never happen in a lifetime. Incredible.



Did you get straight on the phone to your dad, Anton?



ANTON RODGERS: Yes and I didn’t get an answer! I think he was swerving my calls. I didn’t believe it at first, I thought it was too good to be true but I put the TV on and I was delighted. I finally got hold of him and we had a bit of banter. It's the first time we will have played against each other.

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Going back to when Anton was growing up - were you a competitive dad, Brendan, or would you let him win when you played against each other?



Chip off the old block: Anton during Oldham's first round FA Cup replay against Wolverhampton

ANTON: Before every game we’ve played we’ve both wanted to win but he probably let me win a few things when I was younger.

BRENDAN: I gave him a few beatings! But seriously, when I think back to when he was younger we’d be on holiday playing pool, tennis, table tennis or whatever, he’d always want to win and I would sometimes let him. But his sister, Mischa, would say the same. I’d be having a race with her and if I thought she was going to win I’d trip her up so she didn’t get there first. She would only have been nine or ten! So Anton has never had it easy but he’s turned out a wonderful young man.



How does your dad take defeat, Anton? How was he last year after Oldham knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup at Boundary Park?



ANTON: He's alright, to be fair. You hear loads of stories about other managers who fall out with themselves after a defeat but he tries not to bring it home with him. He's good like that. Like anyone in sport, it hurts when you lose, but he doesn't bring it home. It's a good job with the game we've got on Sunday! We've got nothing to lose and are looking forward to the game. There are a few lads still here who played (for Oldham) last year. It was great for them but I know it was tough for Dad.

BRENDAN: I’ve always tried to ensure I don’t take it home. Of course initially I was really upset with our performance there. It’s a thing that, with experience, you have to take them and go again. Oldham deserved to win that game and it was a huge disappointment. But we learned from it.

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It has been a difficult year for your family off the pitch, given the court cases in which Anton was involved and subsequently found not guilty



BRENDAN: As parents, his mum Susan and I found it really, really difficult. The one thing we took out of it was that his mum was there for every minute of the trial and she saw everything. I was there for parts of it and we are talking about two trials at the Old Bailey here, not just one.

The nature of that and what you go through is surreal. We always knew the innocence of our son and you have to fight to prove that. It was a really difficult period because Anton has got his professional life and I’m at one of the biggest clubs in the world. But this is about life and it was very, very important for us to defend his name. His mum and I would have done anything to defend his name.

Lost focus: Rodgers (left) during the match at Boundary Park as Oldham boss Paul Dickov gives orders

Anton, do you ever think your dad will be your manager?

ANTON: I don’t know. He has done really well since he went into management. Maybe he is moving too fast for me. Is it better to be up against him? Yeah, that’s what I can take out of it. Sunday is going to be a great day for everyone. I am really excited about it and looking forward to it.

BRENDAN: It’s funny because it’s something I always wanted to do. In my role as a youth coach at Chelsea, Anton came to Chelsea after I had left Reading to go there, there was a time when it looked like he was going to step up and come in under my remit. That would be the only regret because I’d helped lots of players in my life through coaching. It would have been nice at some stage to have worked with him so he got the real feel of it. Both myself and his mum are very proud of the career he is having because it has never been handed to him. He has had to work exceptionally hard on lots of aspects of his game. He has never wanted it handed to him.



And Brendan, what will you tell your players about facing Anton?

BRENDAN: I’ll just tell them the number 17 is the best player! In all seriousness, it is a situation that

I will want the players to pay attention to because the footballing gods sometimes come into it as well.

With the footballing gods he could end up getting a goal. He’s always had a quality, a knack for a goal and he’s got really good technique. It’s something I need to prepare the players for.

Is there extra motivation for you, Anton?

ANTON: You just have to concentrate on the game and the moment. Sometimes it takes over, fate intervenes and maybe you get a goal that day just because it’s against a team you once played for or, on this occasion, against your dad. But it is just about concentrating on the day. I think for every

Oldham player, not just me, it’s special going to Anfield.