GIVEN the choice, Karl Robinson would prefer to have a meal with Bill Shankly than win his first title as a manager.
The MK Dons boss still has posters of Kenny Dalglish at his parents home in Allerton on Merseyside. And he sits in the Kop to watch his beloved team rather than accept a VIP ticket.
So if England's youngest manager, who was 31 on Tuesday, finally takes the country's newest Football League club into the Championship for the first time, then his obsession and love of Liverpool will have played a considerable part.
In charge of the Buckinghamshire club for 16 months following the end of Paul Ince's second spell, Robinson accepts he has achieved nothing in the game, with the manager-of-the-month award for August his first accolade.
MK Dons, who lost in last season's League One play-off semi-finals, are fourth in the table and could now be ready to reach the second tier of English football.
Although he joined Everton as a kid, Robinson insists it is the seven years as a Liverpool academy coach under the legendary Steve Heighway that have helped him develop into such an extraordinary young boss.
Robinson actually coached some of the Liverpool stars who have emerged into Kenny Dalglish's first team.
And the comparisons with Chelsea's Andre Villas-Boas are obvious. Both are young – Villa Boas is 33 – and neither played football at professional level.
Robinson said: "Kenny was my idol. I'm not old enough to have watched him but I had all the videos.
"He oozed so much class and it's great seeing him on the touchline again.
"Secondly, and this is a bit embarrassing as he is my mate now, my other idol was Robbie Fowler. I also had pictures of him on my wall. He doesn't actually know this and mum has taken them down.
"I was at Everton between nine and 15. I played up front with Francis Jeffers, while Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman were also in the team. We had a good side apart from me – I was the worst one. I went to Swindon until I was past 18. Then I struggled and never really overcame an injury when I didn't play for 13 months. I was not fit enough to compete.
"I played non-league football – going where the money was if I am being honest. I then started coaching at 19 and joined the Liverpool academy in 1999 – and stayed there until 2006.
"They were good times. I travelled the world with heroes of mine and met so many people. I was guided by one of the coaches this country has ever seen in Steve Heighway. I love him to death. What a man. His standards were above and beyond. Steve used to have five young coaches and he coached us to coach the kids.
"I am so passionate about both clubs – Liverpool and MK Dons. If you granted me one wish, it would not be to win the league but it would be to sit here, in this restaurant, with Bill Shankly.
"He had an ability to unite, the board, the staff, the players and the fans. It then created a force which went one way. There is an opening for someone here to do that here at MK Dons. I'm not saying it will be me but it would be great to create history here.
"Working with Steve Heighway gave me an incredible grounding. And John Flanagan, Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing are the ones I worked with and they are coming through now. Martin Kelly had back issues as a kid and didn't play for certain periods and it's great to see him come through."
Robinson's career path would change following a chance meeting with Ince and the pair worked together in two spells at MK Dons along with Blackburn.
He said: "Paul was also amazing throughout. When he fell out with the club after returning there, he said to me: 'Go for the job' – so I did.
"I am lucky to have met so many amazing managers, including Alex Ferguson. I end up just asking them questions.
"I remember the time when Phil Scolari came for a drink when I was at Blackburn (with Ince). He asked for a can of Worthington's - with a widget. He had won the World Cup with Brazil and here he was drinking a can of Worthington's with me.
"But it was still a pleasure. I love it. I have a hatred of people who don't love working in football. Hundreds of thousands of fans pay an awful lot of their salary because they love the club. Why should we not love our club in the same way?"
Robinson's team had enjoyed a terrific start – including a 4-0 hammering of Norwich in the Carling Cup – before suffering a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday six days ago.
He said: "We have shown what we are capable of but we have to now sustain it. Our budget here is not in the top eight. People might think we have more money than anyone but that is not true."
Asked about his lack of experience as a player, you get a predictable - and understandable - response.
He said: "It has not hurt Villas-Boas at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho or Rafa Benitez or Arsene Wenger. You don't have to be a successful player to be a good manager.
"Some managers like to say 'what have you ever done as a player' but success does not make you a great manager.
"At the moment, I have still achieved nothing – but I'm going to keep working so hard."
