Thursday, November 19, 2009

Like Father, Like Son

In the search for its first coach for the new USL-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies, the ownership in Tampa dipped into one of the storied families in European football when they hired Paul Dalglish, the son of former Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish.

"This sport is my obsession," said Dalglish, who gets his first pro head coaching job. "I've lived and breathed it in the morning and at night. If I'm driving and I see two kids playing, I'll stop. I'm excited about this because it's like having a blank canvas. It will involve a lot of hours, but I think the sense of gratification will be bigger because of it."

Dalglish is the son of Kenny Dalglish, who had an illustrious playing and coaching career that spanned four decades and included three European Cups with Liverpool. He also played for two Scottish World Cup teams.

"I grew up in the corridors of one of the sport's most steepest traditions in Liverpool," Paul Dalglish said. "I grew up the son of one of the best players and managers of one of the best clubs. I know how to respect tradition. I know there's a buzz here because of the tradition the Rowdies have."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/tampa-bay-rowdies-hire-former-mls-player-dalglish-as-coach/1052618