Paul Dalglish shares 'biggest disappointment' as he sends message to Liverpool FC fans

Paul Dalglish has explained what makes Aintree Races special as he attended the Grand National.

The son of Liverpool FC legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish, spoke to the ECHO ahead of the iconic steeplechase today. Paul said he is not the biggest horseracing expert - but told the ECHO why the whole family make sure they attend this meeting at Aintree every year.

The 47-year-old said: "You can go horseracing anywhere but the people of Liverpool is what makes this event extra special. One of the highlights of the calendar year is coming to Aintree.

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"I don't claim to be an expert but it's a brilliant event that shows off the best of [the city]." The former Miami FC manager was betting a maximum of £20 a race and said he had had mixed results with who he had backed today.

He said: "There's been three bets so far because I won the first and I've just run out now so I need a winner in the Grand National and then I'm breaking even for the day." However, Paul would have been delighted as he told the ECHO ahead of the big race he was backing this year's winner, I Am Maximus. He said: "I've got no idea if that's a good thing or not but that's what I'm going for."

Although the Dalglishs have enjoyed many happy memories on the famous racecourse, Paul joked about why he wasn't able to pull out a specific one. He said: "To be fair, I only ever really remember coming here. I don't ever remember leaving. I'm just happy to be here."

Paul had a successful career as a footballer with stints at Newcastle United, Blackpool and Norwich before he ventured into management across the Atlantic with roles at Austin Aztex and Miami FC. However, he moved to the city as a young child when his dad signed for Liverpool FC in 1977 and his heart has always lied with the Reds.

The club currently face their biggest turning point since Dalglish first quit as manager in 1990 after Jurgen Klopp announced he would be exiting at the end of the season. Paul paid tribute to the current Reds' boss and remains hopeful the structure is in place for the team will be able to build on the legendary German's success.

He said: "Sometimes it's better to be thankful for what you've got rather than what you're going to lose. He's been an iconic manager in Liverpool's history. If you look at what he achieved against all the odds.

"It's not like we spend the most money, we've had the best manager and it's all down to him. At times, you can get to a stage and I think probably for Jurgen, the time is right. You can be the best manager in the world for Liverpool for a period of time but if Jurgen doesn't feel like he is the man to take the club forward then, for what he's done for us in the past, you've got to trust him.

"You love what he has done for the club but you've got to be excited for what comes next. I trust the people in the leadership positions to make the right choices." The Reds suffered one of their most disappointing results of the season on Thursday when Atalanta defeated the team at Anfield 3 - 0.

Paul said the result was deflating as it leaves the team with a mountain to climb in the second leg to keep the dreams alive that Klopp's swansong match would be the Europa League final in Dublin. He said: "You can't hide from that being a disappointment. But the reality of the situation is the biggest disappointment was we all wanted the party in Dublin.

"With that competition, you normally get terrorised for playing Thursday nights so it's probably more disappointing because we wanted to go to Dublin."

Paul remains hopeful for the rest of the season as he said the ultimate goal has always been to win the Premier League title. He added the team should be commended no matter the eventual outcome and supporters should enjoy the remainder of Klopp's tenure and see what the rest of the season brings.

He said: "The league is what is all about but it's in our hands. Where we are is a surprise if we're honest. When the team was rebuilt in the summer, you wouldn't have thought we'd be going to the wire with Man City and Arsenal for the title, but we are.

"There's a few games left. Let's see where we get and enjoy it." Paul left his post at Miami FC in 2021 and is now looking forward to the future as he has just opened a sports agency firm.

He said: "A friend of mine who I grew up with around here has gone away and become the number one music manager in Europe, with TAB music. We've now done a joint venture to open a sports agency.

"We've soft launched that and we're going to do a proper launch in the next month so it's exciting times."

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