ROY HODGSON'S Liverpool hell ended with a £7.5million pay-off for six months of Mersey misery.
The club's owners axed Hodgson on Saturday after a dismal run of results.
But they have paid the 63-year-old the rest of his £3m-a-year, three-year deal to bring his ordeal to an end.
Kop legend Kenny Dalglish will be in charge until the end of the season.
American owners Fenway Sports Group took the decision on Friday following 48 hours of trans-Atlantic crisis talks with director of football strategy Damien Comolli.
They had delayed ditching the manager until they could be sure a replacement was available.
Dalglish's return to Merseyside from the Middle East opened the door for him to assume a caretaker role until at least the end of season - even though he had initially wanted a four-year deal.
Dalglish, who managed the club from 1985 to 1991, met up with the squad for the first time last night but has had no time to train with his side.
Saturday's announcement ended an extraordinary few days when it looked as if Hodgson would earn a stay of execution for Saturday's FA Cup showdown with Manchester United.
He trained as usual on Friday and had even prepared a team for Old Trafford. But owners John W Henry and Tom Werner finalised Hodgson's severance package on Friday evening.