Name: Gerard Houllier, former Liverpool manager, dies age 73
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Gerard Houllier, former Liverpool manager, dies age 73

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The former Liverpool boss, who spent six years at Anfield, and also coached France, Lyon and PSG during a distinguished career, has tragically passed awayVideo UnavailableGerard Houllier, the former Liverpool manager, has passed away at the age of 73. The Frenchman, who spent six years at Anfield, has passed away just days after a heart operation in Paris; he had only returned home on Sunday. The news was confirmed in France initially by both L'Equipe and RMC. Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker immediately paid tribute on social media, stating: "Oh no! Gerard Houllier has passed away. One of football’s smartest, warmest and loveliest people." Michael Owen, who spent six years at Anfield under Houllier, winning the 2001 Ballon d'Or while under the tutelage of the Frenchman, declared himself "absolutely heartbroken". He labelled Houllier: "A great manager and a genuinely caring man."Houllier, who enjoyed great success in France with Lens, PSG and within the national youth set-up - notably for his role in Clairefontaine's emergence in the 1990s and the development of a number of Les Bleus' 1998 World Cup winners, including Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet - initially arrived at Anfield in July 1998, joining the club as co-manager with Roy Evans. Evans resigned on November 10, leaving Houllier in sole charge, from where he rebuilt a side that had been labelled the "Spice Boys". That culminated in the club's five trophy success of 2001, as they claimed the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield and UEFA Super Cup, while they also returned to the European Cup for the first time since the 1980s. In October of 2001 however, Houllier suffered emergency heart surgery after falling ill on the bench during a Premier League fixture against Leeds United. He was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation due to the discovery of a heart condition, an aortic dissection. Nevertheless, he returned to the club after five months away, and with the help of assistant Phil Thompson, led the club to a second place finish in the 2001-02 season. Houllier ultimately left in 2004, having also overseen an overhaul of the club's youth system, being replaced by Rafa Benitez. He would subsequently return to coaching in France with Lyon in 2005, winning Ligue 1 in his only season at the Stade Gerland, before a return to England with Aston Villa in 2010. However, Houllier's spell at Villa Park was cut short due to illness, forcing him to step down from his role after just nine months.&nbsp; Houllier, who was awarded awarded the Legion d'honneur for his services to French football, and an honorary OBE for services to British football, would become head of global football at Red Bull in 2012. He would go on to work once more with the French Federation and Ligue 1, before in recent years returning to Lyon, becoming technical director of the club's women's team and it's OL Reign side in the USA and remaining a close confidante of chairman Jean-Michel Aulas. On his passing, Liverpool said: "We are mourning the passing of our treble-winning manager, Gerard Houllier. The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Gerard’s family and many friends. Rest in peace, Gerard Houllier 1947-2020." Aston Villa added: "All at Aston Villa are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gérard Houllier, our manager during the 2010/11 season. Our thoughts are with Gérard's loved ones at this incredibly difficult time." Jamie Carragher added: "Absolutely devastated by the news about Gerard Houllier, I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool. "Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person and as a player and got Liverpool back winning trophies. RIP Boss". Legendary ex-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "The news has come as a total shock this morning. Gerard Houllier was still a young man at the age of 73. "Gerard became a really good friend during his time at Liverpool. We remained great friends after he left and he was always a great ally to have.&nbsp;He had fantastic football knowledge which he gained during his extensive and varied career. "When we saw each other at UEFA meetings or other events, we would often enjoy a chat, he was always great company and I will miss him dearly. He was a true gentleman. It's a sad day."Jamie Redknapp, writing on , said: “Incredibly sad news to hear of the passing of Gerard houllier. A man that did an amazing job for Liverpool football club and for football as a whole. "My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I will never forget the day he gave me the Liverpool captaincy the greatest honour of my career. R.I.P Gerard." Ex-Liverpool and Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock, speaking on Sky Sports, added: “My manager on two occasions and someone who I’ll openly admit we didn’t see eye to eye at times but this is terrible news and my thoughts, as I’m sure everyone else’s, are with him and his family at this terrible time. “We can see the reactions coming in straight away over social media from players who have played under him and managers alike who had huge amounts of respect for him for what he achieved in the game. “He’ll be remembered fondly by Liverpool fans for that incredible season where they won the treble of cups and went on to win five trophies in the calendar year.” *Sign up to the for the latest news and transfer gossipFollow MORE ON

The former Liverpool boss, who spent six years at Anfield, and also coached France, Lyon and PSG during a distinguished career, has tragically passed awayVideo UnavailableGerard Houllier, the former Liverpool manager, has passed away at the age of 73. The Frenchman, who spent six years at Anfield, has passed away just days after a heart operation in Paris; he had only returned home on Sunday. The news was confirmed in France initially by both L'Equipe and RMC. Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker immediately paid tribute on social media, stating: "Oh no! Gerard Houllier has passed away....

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Gerard Houllier, former Liverpool manager, dies age 73

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