Mauricio Pellegrino is relishing an emotional return to Anfield.

The Saints boss is a former Liverpool player and assistant manager, and tomorrow leads a team to his former home for the first time as a boss in his own right.

Pellegrino played 13 times for the Reds in 2005 and returned to Liverpool in 2008 to work on the coaching staff under Rafa Benitez.

Pellegrino has many happy memories of Liverpool, both the club and the city, and is excited about a return.

He smiled: “It will be really, really special, and not just about football because I had been living there with my family, my children in the school, in the streets.

“It’s not just about football, it’s about the people and I have got good memories, I know the people that is working there. My only words is to be grateful.

“As a first experience in my life in England first of all as a player I think it was really good.

“I had good memories from this moment because we won the Champions League and I was in this group.

“After as a coach it was my first experience also to be in contact with professional players with Rafa Bentiez, and I can say I am really grateful for those days, for those times.”

Pellegrino is taking his first steps into English football management with Saints, and insists he isn’t dreaming of one day returning to Anfield as the club’s manager.

“In football I don’t think about tomorrow, I think about today,” he insisted.

“I don’t like to do any plans.

“I did plan when I was a player and always I failed because football is like life and in one moment everything changes.

“I leave the reality in football. Football has a lot of risks. It is really nice this profession but I think about every day.”

Pellegrino is about to pit his wits against some of the best managers in the world.

Over the next month or so he will come up against Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

It is a big challenge for him but one he is excited for.

“To be in the Premier League is a nice inspiration,” he said.

“To be with these players to try to be better every single day and to try to give ideas to be better every day is an inspiration.

“My career is an inspiration because you never can be calm, can be quiet, because it is a profession you never finish and have to be ready all the time. To play against the biggest teams representing Southampton for me is amazing.”