When people talk of the great Liverpool teams of the past, especially the eighties, the names of Dalglish, Rush, Barnes and Beardsley are most often heard. One player that was just as important, if not more so, was Scottish star Stevie Nicol.
Nicol is now the coach of US Major League Soccer side New England Revolution, the "brand" owned by Robert Kraft, linked with a possible investment into Liverpool FC. Nicol played – and played well – in just about every position bar goal for the Reds as the were showing the world how to play football. He’s delighted to hear that his new boss is looking to be involved with his old club, and says Reds fans should be delighted too: "Having the Kraft family involved in your club can only be good news. The people at Liverpool should certainly be happy at the prospect."
He denies any inside knowledge on the possible deal, saying "I can’t say they’ve talked to me about Liverpool at all, but I do know their style and the way they do things and it is always very positive."
Nicol has only good things to say about the Krafts, and says Liverpool fans wouldn’t need to have the same fears that Manchester United fans had when Malcolm Glazer initiated his takeover down the East Lancs: "Everyone in sport loves winning – that’s why we get involved – but there are different ways to win. The Kraft family does it in the proper way. They genuinely care about their teams and who is involved with their teams. If you put it in simple terms, Mr Kraft is a great businessman and the guy is in the business of winning. But that is not just what he is all about."
The way Nicol describes the family, they certainly do sound like the same type of people that Liverpool has traditionally had involved over the years: "They want to be the best at everything they do and they do it by creating the right environment. They understand it is the whole package. They are interested in the team and everybody in the team, the whole staff and their families. It is not a question of some guy who sits and watches from his throne, they are involved in all the right ways."
If Nicol is being genuine – and there’s no reason to doubt this – then it is to be hoped that the Kraft family are brought on board sooner rather than later: "The bottom line is it’s a pleasure to be working for the Kraft family. If they do follow up their interest in the English game, I can’t help feeling it will do nothing but good for Liverpool FC."