Hodgson joint-favourite for Reds job

The following story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club:

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is emerging as the front-runner to become Liverpool's next manager, after the 62-year-old became the joint-favourite with Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill to succeed Rafael Benitez in the Anfield hot seat.

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish remains in third place, whilst Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has also seen his odds shorten to 12-1.

Having publically admitted his interest in the job, former England and Manchester City head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has become the joint-fourth favourite alongside Jurgen Klinsmann, as an extensive field of potential candidates continue to be linked with the Reds job.

After a season of underachievement, Liverpool failed to mount a Premier League title challenge as the Reds finished in a disappointing seventh place, adding to the fans' misery after being dumped out of the Champions League in the group stages.

Nevertheless, Liverpool are without doubt one of the biggest clubs in world football, the sleepiest of giants. With five European Cups and 18 English top-flight championships to their name, the Reds are looking to replicate their illustrious past, and despite the club's financial difficulties, the job remains one of the most attractive propositions for managers throughout Europe.

Goal.com UK looks at the credentials of those who are emerging as the leading candidates to take over from Benitez.

Martin O'Neill
Aston Villa

Age: 58

Key achievements: Promotion to Premier League and 2 League Cups (Leicester City)
3 SPL titles, 3 Scottish Cups, 1 Scottish League Cup and UEFA Cup Runner-up in 2003 (Celtic)

Roy Hodgson
Fulham

Age: 62

Key achievements: 2 Allsvenskan titles (Halmstads)
4 Allsvenskan titles and 2 Svenska Cupen (Malmo)
1 Danish Superliga and 1 Danish Super Cup (Copenhagen)
1997 UEFA Cup final (Inter)
2010 Europa League final (Fulham)

Kenny Dalglish
Liverpool (club ambassador)

Age: 59

Key achievements: 3 Football League First Division titles and 2 FA Cups (Liverpool)
1 Premier League title (Blackburn Rovers)
Scottish League Cup (Celtic)

Jurgen Klinsmann
Unattached
Age: 45

Key achievements: Third place in 2006 World Cup (Germany)
Second place in Bundesliga (Bayern Munich)

Sven-Goran Eriksson
Ivory Coast
Age: 62

Key Achievements: The former England coach enjoyed much success while managing in Italy, claiming the Serie A title with Lazio in 2000 along with the Coppa Italia (1998, 2000). He also won both the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1999, and the UEFA Super Cup in the same year.

Harry Redknapp
Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 63

Key Acheivements: The Spurs gaffer secured Champions League football for the first time in the club's history last season with a top four finish in the Premier League. At Portsmouth, the former West Ham boss won the FA Cup in 2008.

Guus Hiddink
Turkey
Age: 63

Key achievements: 1 Champions League, 6 Eredivisie titles and 4 KNVB Cups (PSV Eindhoven)
1 Intercontinental Cup (Real Madrid)
1 FA Cup (Chelsea)
Fourth place in 1998 World Cup (Netherlands)
Fourth place in 2002 World Cup (South Korea)

Slaven Bilic
Croatia
Age: 41

Key achievements: Quarter-finals in Euro 2008 (Croatia)

Mark Hughes
Unattached
Age: 46

Key achievements: FA Cup semi-finals, League Cup final, UEFA Cup qualification (Blackburn Rovers)

Alex McLeish
Birmingham City
Age: 51

Key achievements: 1 Scottish First Division title (Hibernian)
2 Scottish Premier League titles, 2 Scottish Cups and 3 Scottish League Cups (Rangers)
Top 10 finish in the Premier League (Birmingham City)

Frank Rijkaard
Galatasaray
Age: 47

Key achievements: Euro 2000 semi-finals (Netherlands)
1 UEFA Champions League, 2 Primera Division titles and 2 Supercopa de Espana (Barcelona)

Sammy Lee
Liverpool assistant manager
Age: 51

Key Achievements: Enjoyed a ten-year  career with the club from 1976-86, winning three league titles and two European Cups. Has been Rafa Benitez's assistant since 2008.

Luiz Felipe Scolari
Unattached

Age: 61

Key Achievements: A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, the former Chelsea boss has 17 tropies to his name thus far, most of which from his time working in Brazil.

Marco van Basten
Unattached
Age: 45

Key Achievements: Has managed both the Dutch national side and Ajax. Reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup finals.

Bernd Schuster
Unattached
Age: 50

Key Achievements: La Liga winner with Real Madrid in 2008, and the subsequent Supercopa in the same year.

John Toshack
Wales
Age: 61

Key Achievements: Winner of the Copa del Rey in 1987 with Real Madrid, the Welsh coach and former Anfield hero secured the La Liga title with the Spanish giants in 1990.

Kevin Keegan
Unattached
Age: 59

Key Achievements: Winner of three Football League championships (English football's second tier) with Newcastle United (1992-93), Fulham (1998-99), Manchester City (2001-02), the former Liverpool hero, and England coach, finished runner up in the Premier League whilst Newcastle boss in 1996.

Alan Curbishley
Unattached
Age: 52

Key Achievements: The former West Ham manager secured promotion to the Premier League with Charlton in 1998, winning the play-off final on penalties after the infamous 4-4 draw with Sunderland.

Marcello Lippi
Italy
Age: 62

Key Achievements:  The Italian national coach has an illustrious track record, having won 14 trophies, including five Italian league titles, and the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

Juande Ramos
Unattached
Age: 55

Key Achievements: Despite a sour end to his time at Tottenham, the Spaniard won the League Cup in his first season with the Londoners (2008). While at Sevilla, he lifted back-to-back UEFA Cups (2006, 2007), and the Copa del Rey in 2007.

Manuel Pellegrini
Unattached
Age: 56

Key achievements: During his year tenure at Villarreal, Pellegrini led the La Liga side to the Champions League semi-final in the 2005-06 season. Furthermore, the Chilean tactician led the Yellow Submarine's to their highest ever league finish, when they were runners-up to Real Madrid in the 2007-08 season, a feat he repeated with Real last season.

Louis van Gaal
Bayern Munich
Age: 58

Key achievements: 3 Eredivisie titles, 3 Dutch Super Cups, 1 Dutch Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 1 Intercontinental Cup (Ajax)
2 Primera Division titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 1 UEFA Super Cup (Barcelona)
1 Eredivisie title (AZ Alkmaar)
1 Bundesliga title, 1 German Cup, 1 Audi Cup and Champions League Runner-up (Bayern Munich)

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.