One of the saddest moments of my career came towards the end of the 2003-04 season at Liverpool.

I recall playing at Anfield amid an air of apathy as Gerard Houllier’s reign came to an end.

Over the course of two years Houllier lost the trust of the supporters. For a while there had been some anger – there was a home FA Cup tie with Portsmouth earlier that season when Anfield was 10,000 short of its usual capacity and every managerial decision seemed to be met with a chorus of disapproval.

When we lost the replay at Fratton Park, deep down, everyone at the club – players, directors, supporters - knew what was needed, despite their admiration and respect for the manager and all he had achieved.

No-one running the club ever came out and said they would be replacing the manager before the start of the following season, but there were no messages of support and I recall chatting to assistant Phil Thompson about whether Houllier had been reassured of his position.