Brentford boss Thomas Frank plays down chances of taking Liverpool job

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 14 February 2024

Brentford boss Thomas Frank plays down suggestions that he could succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has played down suggestions that he could succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

The 50-year-old is one of a number of coaches that has been linked with the soon-to-be Liverpool vacancy after Klopp announced last month that he will be stepping down from his post at the end of the season.

Frank is currently the sixth longest-serving manager in England's top-four divisions having spent the last five-and-a-half years in charge of Brentford, who have risen from the Championship to the Premier League under his tutelage.

After gaining promotion from the second tier in 2020-21, Frank steered Brentford to a 13th-placed finish in their first-ever Premier League campaign, and the Bees then bettered that with an impressive ninth-placed finish last season.

Brentford have since struggled to replicate their 2022-23 success this term, largely due to the absence of talisman Ivan Toney, and they currently sit 14th in the table after 23 games, six points above the relegation zone.

Frank is under contract at the Gtech Community Stadium until June 2027 and although the Liverpool-linked boss has admitted that he has "ambitions", the Dane has insisted that he remains happy at Brentford.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank celebrates after the match on October 21, 2023 © Reuters

Speaking to Sky Sports, Frank said: "There's a lot rumours out there. I think we all have kind of an ego and the ego likes that little bit of sugar but at the end of the day I'm at Brentford. I'm very happy here.

"Do I have ambitions? Yes. Am I going to stay at Brentford forever? Maybe but probably not. So who knows what's going to happen in the future. What I know is that I'm here at Brentford and I'm very happy with it."

In a separate interview with Tipsbladet, Frank added: "Yeah, I keep up with things and have seen that Xavi and Klopp are leaving. Two big coaching personalities for two fantastic clubs, both of whom have done well. Like everyone else, I also have ambitions, but it's hard to say exactly what they are.

"I'm focused on doing well right now. I have no doubt that we need to finish the second half of the season strongly. I understand that we need some good performances and to win some football matches, and that's my main focus right now."

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is believed to be the current frontrunner to replace Klopp at Liverpool in the summer, with a recent report claiming that the Reds have made contact with the Spaniard to gauge his interest in the job.

The likes of Tottenham Hotspur's Ange Postecoglou, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi, Germany's Julian Nagelsmann and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane have also been tipped to potentially succeed Klopp at Anfield.