Liverpool future coach may be at Anfield this weekend - and it's not just Roberto De Zerbi

Robert De Zerbi should know that the spotlight will be on him.

It won't just be the travelling Brighton fans located in the Anfield Road Stand judging his every decision. Instead, 60,000 Kopites will be paying significant attention to De Zerbi's set-up, tactical tweaks, substitutions, and mannerisms on the touchline.

The Italian can play it down all he wants. But when the Seagulls face Liverpoo on Sunday, it will be a potential audition to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat.

De Zerbi is in the mix to become the Reds' next manager when Klopp leaves. During his 18 months in the Brighton hot seat, he delivered a club-record sixth-place finish, secured Europa League football and reached an FA Cup semi-final. He's beaten Liverpool twice, as well as Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea all the while playing highly attractive football.

Xabi Alonso is no longer the frontrunner. It appears the former Kop midfielder will remain at Bayer Leverkusen as they close in on a maiden Bundesliga title. Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim is another admired. Yet De Zerbi cannot be ruled out.

And if De Zerbi was to land the role, what about the possibility of him bringing someone who knows Liverpool inside out? Someone who was held in the highest of esteem because of the standards he drove. Someone who has his very own door named after him at the AXA Training Ground.

Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino's brilliance will vividly be remembered during Liverpool's return to the European elite under Klopp. Jordan Henderson lifting six trophies aloft will also be etched into fans' memories. Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker and some others may also get plaudits. But Milner's contributions will never be forgotten.

Some baulked at Milner's arrival from Manchester City in 2015 as he was set to earn £150,000 per week in wages. But in truth, it proved to be one of the best free transfers in Kop history. Milner was at the club for Klopp's arrival and became a dedicated lieutenant who was a linchpin of the dressing room and a key cog in the rebuild of the club. Whether operating in midfield or either full-back role, performances were always awash with commitment and determination to win.

Despite being 37, Klopp still wanted Milner to stay at L4 for a ninth successive campaign. However, the Reds boss was overruled.

“I still want to contribute to a team. You should play as long as you can, hopefully I can do it for a bit longer yet," said Milner after his exit. The club obviously made their decision on that. It’s nice I’m in a position where the manager wanted me to stay, but it got to the point where I got to terms [with it].”

Milner instead opted for a move to Brighton and will be hopeful that he can return to Anfield where he will be given a deserved fervent reception. However, he has missed the Seagulls' past nine games because of a knee issue. Still, in an unusually injury-hit campaign, the former Leeds United man has made his mark on the south coast. De Zerbi is a huge admirer.

"He's a great use for us," said De Zerbi in January. "We're proud to have him in our team. He's improving because in his physical condition he can play 90 minutes with the same intensity and energy."

And if the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk chief were to land the Liverpool job then having someone join the club who knows it inside out would only be a bonus. Perhaps Milner could be coaxed back to join the backroom staff.

Milner indeed started his coaching badges while at the Reds as he oversaw sessions with academy players. Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders even said that the ex-England international could take up his role as Klopp's right-hand man at that moment.

“I’m doing my badges, I’m on my [UEFA A Licence] now, so I’ve done quite a few sessions with the younger guys at the academy, which is good," Milner told Amazon Prime in December 2022.

“They then sometimes come up and train with us so it’s good because you’ve seen them. When you’re doing the session, I enjoy it – it’s easy, init, it’s football and you’re basically doing it every day in training anyway.

“You’re helping each other, talking, you see things and what’s going on. In football, you see a manager come in, do well and get a new contract for five years and get sacked six months later.

“It’s like, ‘Do you want that stress?’ It’s crazy. For me, every manager needs at least a couple of years, he needs to put his ideas, get the players he wants in,” Milner continued. Any successful team, it takes time. But football is a business and if people think you’re going down the wrong path it changes so quick.”

Even if De Zerbi does not land the Liverpool role, Milner could have a part to play in the future. Leeds is Milner's boyhood team but admitted when departing that he never thought another club would get into me as much as Liverpool'.

Milner may still feel he's got a season or two left in him. Given the consummate professional he is, it'd scarcely be a surprise.

But once he does hang up his boots, a management career could be a realistic option. The bug that players aplenty miss when they retire may drag him into it despite all of his previous reservations.

If that were the case, there would be few who'd back against him being a success. Milner has played at the top level since he was 16 and learned from an array of managers including Klopp, De Zerbi and Roberto Mancini.

Should he take that path and if Klopp's successor exits the club, then maybe Milner with experience under his belt would be ready to step up to the fore.