Swansea defender Alan Tate feels it is no surprise manager Brendan Rodgers has been targeted by Liverpool but will be sorry to see him go.
Defender feels boss will be 'breath of fresh air' at Anfield
Swansea defender Alan Tate feels it is no surprise manager Brendan Rodgers has been targeted by Liverpool but will be sorry to see him go.
Rodgers appears poised to take over at Anfield after holding talks with the club's owners on Wednesday and confirming he wants to leave Swansea for Merseyside.
The two clubs are currently in negotiations over compensation, with an agreement expected to be reached within the next 24 hours.
Success
Under Rodgers, Tate enjoyed promotion to the top-flight with the Swans last year before helping them to an 11th-place finish in their maiden Premier League campaign.
The stopper feels it was only a matter of time before a high-profile club came knocking for the highly-rated Northern Irish boss.
He told
Sky Sports News: "Once you have a good couple of years, especially with the success we had this year in the Premier League, you expect the manager to be touted for certain jobs.
"To be fair, this one that has come up is probably the second biggest club in the country.
"It's one of those things that if it does turn out that he goes there, you can't really blame him to be honest."
Tate has backed Rodgers for success at Anfield, adding: "He's a great man-manager, he's a great motivator. To be honest he doesn't settle for second best.
"He'll be one of those people who will walk into Anfield and just be a breath of fresh air to the players and to the whole set-up that's at Liverpool.
"Obviously if he does decide to go we'll be sorry to see him leave, but when he goes into Anfield they'll have a very good manager and I'm sure he'll be successful there."
Swansea first-team coach Alan Curtis also expects Rodgers to be a hit on Merseyside but admits his expected exit will come as a "huge blow".
"He's been fantastic for us and we wish him all the best," he said.
"There was always going to be the day when Brendan was lured away by one of the bigger clubs but we were probably hoping it was going to be in 18 months to two years, even. So to lose him now, if the reports are true, is a huge blow.
Grateful
"He's been superb for us and I think everybody will be grateful for the work he did for us and watch with great interest the job he does at Liverpool.
"He's obviously a British manager but he's got a very continental feel about his approach to the game. He's very innovative in terms of the way he wants the team to play.
"If he can take that sort of style and culture into the club then I'm sure it will be really exciting times for them."
