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The left-back position has been a problem area for Liverpool ever since the departure of John Arne Riise in 2008.

It’s been the one position where the Reds have struggled to find a sustainable solution.

Jose Enrique looked like he may be the one to fulfil the role and displayed early promise to suggest just that.

But an injury hit campaign for the Spaniard last term meant Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger were forced out onto the left as on-loan specialist left-back Aly Cissokho proved otherwise unconvincing.

Now, though, Enrique is back and full fit from the knee injury that blighted his campaign and Brendan Rodgers is close to sealing a deal for Spanish left-back Alberto Moreno.

One man who knows a thing or two about the role is Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy.

Signed from Newcastle United by Bob Paisley in 1978, Kennedy was brought in to solve what was a problematic position even then.

Joey Jones, Tommy Smith and Alan Hansen had all filled in but after adapting to the position – a rocky debut at Queens Park Rangers which led Paisley to say at half-time ‘I think they shot the wrong Kennedy’ – the man from the North East would go on to make more than 250 appearances in Red.

And Kennedy believes that it is vital Brendan Rodgers brings some much needed continuity to the position.

“There have been three or four players who have played in that position and you’ve got Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger who have filled in out of position to play there,” he says.

“When Jose Enrique came in I thought he would do very well. He looked very confident and had played ever so well at Newcastle so it looked like he would be the solution.

“Obviously his injury damaged his chances of really pushing on but you need to have that bit of continuity in your team and Liverpool haven’t had that in the left-back position for years now.

“If you’ve got your middle two sorted then your goalkeeper has the confidence of playing in a settled defence and that can sometimes mean that full-backs are just filled by anyone.

“But you saw at the World Cup this year how effective the full-backs arein adding something extra to the attacks.

“Glen Johnson can sometimes be our best forward because he is a threat on the attack but we’ve not had that on the left.

“That was my forte. I liked getting up and down and I was confident in my team-mates that they would be back me up.

“I was always an outlet and I think full-backs sometimes get overlooked with what they can offer going forward because you do see so many being restricted.

“They haven’t got too many options when they get forward because it’s either pass it on or get a cross in so it’s important to have that confidence in your attacking ability.

“That’s what it is about. Brendan is very good in giving his players confidence. He presses that the players must always think forward and the full-backs are key to that thinking.”

Kennedy is of the opinion that because of the way Liverpool play, the position can be of huge benefit to the Reds.

“Full-backs at the moment don’t get too much exposure and it allows them to get forward a lot more,” the two-time European Cup winner added.

“There is always a two v one situation in favour of Liverpool because you have the likes of Coutinho, Sterling and even Markovic the other night would come back and double up.

“They don’t get pestered too much so defensively their duties aren’t quite as important as they used to be.

“Moreno represents a more natural left-back simply because he is left footed.

“He will provide excellent competition for Enrique I’m sure but that’s not to say Jon Flanagan still isn’t in with a shout of playing there. You can play right-footed players at left-back but you can’t do it the other way around so he offers that versatility which is quite rare at the top level.

“There is a good future and it’s nice for Brendan if he does get Moreno because he’ll have so much competition for one position.

“Nobody has really stood out and said ‘I’m the number three’ so perhaps Moreno can get a run in the side and if the team are winning then Brendan won’t want to change that and that’s how you’ll get that consistency.”

Despite the signing of Javier Manquillo from Atletico Madrid and the prospect of Moreno joining him from Sevilla, Kennedy reckons the Reds already have a bright future in the shape of Flanagan.

So highly does the Liverpool legend rate the youngster he thinks he showed last season he was more than just someone who could fill in at left-back.

He says: “When I look at Jon Flanagan, to me he looks more suited at left-back than he does on the right.

“He adapted to the position really well last season and I think people overlook him some times and think he is a young lad and he isn’t predominately left-footed.

“But for me he did exceptionally well and I think he contributed to giving Liverpool a good balance.

“He’s looked very strong and I think he could well go on to nail down a position on either side.

“Jon has something about him that I really like. He is prepared to force his way into the team and that character is vital for someone of his age.

“I think perhaps even he may have been surprised by just how well he has done.

“Liverpool came in for some criticism after conceding so many goals in the league but from my point of view I don’t think any of that can be levelled at Jon.”

He'll always have Paris (and Rome... and Wembley)

Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid, 1981 European Cup Final

Alan Kennedy (above, with Phil Thompson and the European Cup) always had an eye for the big goal.

On an unforgettable night in Paris his blistering shot fizzed past the Real Madrid keeper in a blur to bring the European Cup to Anfield for the third time in five season in 1981.

“The goalkeeper should have done ­better,” Kennedy said. “But the whole thing was down to luck. I didn’t even want the ball when Ray Kennedy took his throw in, I was just making a run to try and make space for someone else.

“But the ball hit me on the chest and dropped perfectly.

“The defender came in and nothing happened. I still had the ball but I didn’t know whether to shoot or cross, and basically I just wellied it towards goal. It went in, and I ran behind the goal to celebrate.

“I think everyone was surprised, but it was the kind of thing I had dreamed about.”

Liverpool 2-1 Man United, 1983 League Cup Final

Almost 100,000 fans crammed into Wembley when these two met in the 1983 Milk Cup final.

After Norman Whiteside’s early opener, centre-backs Gordon McQueen and Kevin Moran suffered injuries and Kennedy’s late equaliser took the match to extra time.

It was a skimming 25-yard strike into the bottom corner and another decisive goal from the attacking left-back.

Ronnie Whelan would go on to curl home a delightful winner.

Liverpool 1-1 Roma (a.e.t) (4-2 penalties), 1984 European Cup Final

And they say lightning never strikes twice.

Three years after his winner in Paris, Kennedy went and did it again with the winning penalty against AS Roma in their own backyard.

“As I put the ball down on the spot, I’m thinking to myself, ‘Alan, please just hit the target’.

“I kept changing my mind. When I actually walked back I thought to myself, ‘Come on, let’s put this one away’.

“Fortunately for me, the Roma goalkeeper Tancredi went down a little bit early and I put the ball to his right.”