Liverpool legend Jan Molby works in the media and often receives criticism from fans of the Reds and even Manchester United for his assessments on the microphone
Jan Molby
Jan Molby often commentates on Liverpool(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Liverpool icon Jan Molby has admitted that his history with the club impacts his commentary. The Danish midfield maestro believes the standards he sets for the Reds mean he is more easily irritated when on the microphone, when the club fall short.
Molby made 292 appearances over an 11-year period at Anfield and helped the side to win three First Division titles and two FA Cups. The 63-year-old landed in the red half of Merseyside from Ajax in 1984 and has become embedded in the area.
The Great Dane has worked extensively in the media since retiring, including for Danish TV channel TV2 and has a podcast called Molby On The Spot. The veteran has not shied away from his relationship with Liverpool, impacting how he talks about the team.
“It is something different when it is your own club, but I have never hidden the fact that I was not a Liverpool fan," he told Ekstra Bladet, via Sport Witness. "I was an Arsenal fan, but I played almost 12 years in Liverpool and have lived in the city for 42 years. It is my club.
“That is why I can get a little irritated, which I may not do with the other clubs. It is great to see Forest play against Brentford, but Liverpool is different. I’m very involved. Even in the days after a defeat. Everywhere I go, people talk about it.”
“Lots of Danish Liverpool fans tell me that I’m a bit too critical sometimes, but I’d rather be that than just sit there and support Liverpool, and I don’t think I do that either.”
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It's not only Liverpool fans who have made their case to Molby over his work in the media. A Manchester United supporter pleaded their case to him at a darts tournament.
*"*A few years ago, I attended the Nordic Masters darts tournament, where I went on stage to present the prize,” Molby added.
“Afterward, a young man was standing there shouting, ‘Jan, Jan’. He then said, ‘I just want to say one thing. Can’t you promise me that you won’t comment on Manchester United anymore?'
“I’m sure there are many who’d like that, but I can’t promise that.”
Jan Molby
Jan Molby played for Liverpool for more than a decade(Image: Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)
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It should be no surprise that Molby has an emotional connection with the Reds that cannot be avoided. In addition to staying at the club for more than a decade, the Dane has remained on Merseyside to the present day.
The former midfielder has spent 42 years in the area and has been embraced by locals. Speaking to the ECHO earlier this year, he said: "At the time when I came, I had no affiliation to Liverpool as a city or to the football club.
"I came to play football, as what footballers do. I'd played in Amsterdam for two years before then. I enjoyed Amsterdam, had a good time, but the city never grabbed me, the football club never grabbed me.
"I probably thought, in a way, that the same would happen here. I'd come here, play for a few years and move on. But the city and the club grabs you in a way that very few do. You become part of it, but you also understand how important it is to become a part of it."