Brendan Rodgers Eyes 20-Year Liverpool Stay, Hails Cristiano Ronaldo and Madrid

Brendan Rodgers has revealed he wishes to remain Liverpool manager "for another 20 odd years" before moving to La Liga.

The Northern Irish boss, who has dramatically improved the Reds' fortunes since taking over in 2012, spoke to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague during an interview for AS: 

"

I’m only 41 which is very young and there are lots of things I want to achieve here at Liverpool, its an incredible club and I hope to be managing here for another 20 odd years. One day hopefully it can take me to Spain and I can experience a wonderful country, culture and as I said, some wonderful football club.

"

The manager confirmed he has studied the language and that he converses with Liverpool's Spanish contingent in their mother tongue. Rodgers' chat made it onto the front page of the Spanish newspaper, per Balague:

Despite struggling during early managerial spells with Watford and Reading, Rodgers has developed into a highly tactical, often impressive leader across the last few years.

This process was first noticeable at Swansea, where he stamped an effective brand of possession-based football into the side, helping them secure a first-ever stint in the Premier League by doing so.

Rodgers' Welsh outfit could be likened to Pep Guardiola's Barcelona—it played out from the back, retained possession and launched fast-breaking moves when the opportunity showed itself—and Rodgers established the Swans as a quality top-flight force.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Such a confident approach saw Liverpool bring him in during a difficult time for the club. The reigns of Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish saw the Merseyside outfit lose the identity instilled under Rafa Benitez. Poor signings—such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam—left the club out of the Champions League and struggling to gain momentum.

Rodgers took a little time to adjust but implemented a quickened version of his aforementioned style to place Liverpool second last season. He has proven an excellent one-on-one manager and purveyor of youth, something 20-year-old right-back Javier Manquillo recently commented on, per Aritz Gabilondo of AS.

"For a young player it is important that the coach trusts him," said Manquillo. "Rodgers has done that from the beginning and I am very grateful. Moving to a big club like Liverpool and being a starter is difficult."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

The decision to sign individuals such as Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, two players who failed to hit their potential at Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively, was extremely shrewd. Rodgers has provided these match-winners with responsibility and drilled self-belief into their play, as highlighted by their performances across the past year.

Raheem Sterling's successful introduction can also be attributed to the manager. Rodgers allows his starlet to play freely and is more than happy to focus Liverpool's counters through his pace. Sterling pops up on either flank and through the centre, becoming an important player for both Liverpool and England in a rapid rise to fame.

The 19-year-old's impressive streak in the first team led to football expert Jonathan Wilson telling B/R UK's Ryan Bailey he should be considered among the best teenage players in the world:

Rodgers hinted players such as Sterling need to use Cristiano Ronaldo as inspiration, per Balague: "(Ronaldo's) an amazing player, his evolution over the last few years into becoming a goal scorer has been incredible, of course he is a player that you have to focus on but the team as a whole is incredible."

He also outlined one or two other Madrid players he admires ahead of Wednesday's visit from the European champions: 

"

You have [Luka] Modric, [Toni] Kroos, wonderful technicians who can play short, long. I’m also a big admirer of Sergio Ramos since his young days at Sevilla where he came through the system before making a move and then making to over 100 caps for Spain. It’s an incredible achievement and he is fast and he is strong and he has personality. I like him a lot.

"

The manager's Spanish influences are clear. While Liverpool have struggled this season—winning half of their eight Premier League matches—his approach is commendable. Rodgers is an intricate tactician, one who will subtly alter his side to deal with situations, making it important he is given ample time to influence Liverpool across the long term.

It is no coincidence reports previously surfaced over him potentially joining Barcelona. This is a manager whose technical nuance and ball-playing style would fit seamlessly into La Liga. The Camp Nou is built on the same principals as Rodgers' Liverpool—control outweighs all-out attack, youth is key—meaning he can be outlined a potential future manager of the Blaugrana or another top Spanish side.