I was fired in a direct meeting in the manager’s office following a costly error at Liverpool

Liverpool will host Luton Town at Anfield for the first time since January 2008 on Wednesday to increase their Premier League advantage, according to liverpoolecho. The Hatters held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road in November, requiring a Luis Diaz last-minute equaliser. They’ll want to win at Anfield against Luton after a year after losing at home 5-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp’s team has won 16 of 20 Premier League games at Anfield in the last year, winning 23 and drawing four of 27 home fixtures. Only Arsenal and Manchester United have prevented Liverpool from winning at home this season. Last time they hosted Luton, they won 5-0 in the FA Cup third round 16 years ago. Steven Gerrard scored a hat-trick and Sami Hyypia scored in the second half after Ryan Babel scored before halftime.

Gerrard started but did not lead the team. In his 500th club appearance, Jamie Carragher wore the armband. The midfielder was substituted immediately after scoring Liverpool’s fifth goal in the 71st minute. He begged Rafa Benitez to leave him on earlier in the game to score a hat-trick.

Gerrard recalled, “The manager called me over and said he was about to take me off.” “I begged him for five more minutes to get my hat-trick. I’m glad he allowed me since three goals are fantastic.”

The Reds had a pleasant night at Anfield, but not nine days previously against Luton. They won 5-0 in a third-round rematch after Liverpool drew 1-1 at Kenilworth Road. The initial tie ended in a replay when Peter Crouch scored in the 73rd minute and John Arne Riise’s own goal three minutes later. In fact, the strike may have forewarned the Norwegian in his last months at the club.

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Under pressure from David Edwards, Riise unwisely attacked Drew Talbot’s cross from the Liverpool right-side at the near post with his stronger left foot, deflecting it beyond goalie Charles Itandje. Three months later, the left-back made a similar mistake but it cost Liverpool against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals.

Dirk Kuyt’s opening gave them a 1-0 lead, and Salomon Kalou’s stoppage-time cross from Liverpool’s right side sealed the triumph. While Riise would resist attacking it with his better left foot, his choice to avoid utilising his weaker right foot to clear upfield would again cost him.

He defeated Pepe Reina with a diving header under pressure from Nicolas Anelka to give Chelsea a crucial away goal. After starting the 3-2 second leg loss a week later, Benitez took him into his office to warn him he would be sold and not play again.

I saw him smiling from behind his desk. He responded, ‘I think it’s time we go our own ways’,” Riise wrote in his 2018 autobiography. “You can benefit from new challenges, and we’ve acquired a new left-back to rely on.”Liverpool bought Andrea Dossena from Udinese for £7m, although that has occurred previously. Each time I accepted the challenge, I won.

I wasn’t expecting this. I sat there, half-shocked. You’re famous, so you can play anyplace. We can help you discover another club.I only asked, ‘Can I play the last matches?’ It was crucial that I play 350 matches and average 50 per season. Benitez simply shook his head. I had the sack, plain and simple.

The left-back’s standards fell in his final two seasons with Liverpool as he competed with Fabio Aurelio for a starting berth, with only the Brazilian’s injury record keeping him out.

He joined AS Roma for £4m after Benitez fired him aged 27 in the summer of 2008. Liverpool may have regretted Riise’s departure, since Dossena, Paul Konchesky, Jose Enrique, and Alberto Moreno struggled at left-back for a decade.