Walk through the door marked “Assistant Manager” at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, and you find yourself in the looking-glass world of Sammy Lee. Flattery falls flat and references to his trophy-laden playing days are dismissed. If I was to write that Lee works feverishly hard, understands the Liverpool philosophy better than anyone, is admirably modest and surprisingly inspirational, he would be livid. But I will risk it.
Lee is addicted to his job “it’s not a job, it’s a vocation” and has refreshed his Uefa Pro Licence more than it needs refreshing. “I’ve got every qualification you can get,” he said. No doubt Rafael BenÍtez saw a kindred spirit; Lee says they share the same intensity. It helped, too, that Lee speaks Spanish,