Brendan Rodgers has hit back at suggestions from Richard Keys that he "plotted" to force Steven Gerrard out of Liverpool.
The Leicester boss worked with Gerrard at Anfield during his spell as Liverpool manager from 2012-15, eventually overseeing the former Reds captain's departure to LA Galaxy.
Gerrard was 35 by the time he jetted off for his swansong in the States, but Keys still felt Rodgers had used underhanded tactics to get shot of the midfielder.
"Rodgers wanted him out," Keys said at the time. "With [Jamie] Carragher already gone Rodgers knew that with Gerrard on the way out too, the club was now his - all his.
"People listen to him, which is why Rodgers doesn't want him there anymore."
There was never seemingly any tension between Rodgers and his skipper at Liverpool, other than the occasions he left Gerrard out on the bench, which was more perhaps to do with the star's advancing years than anything else.
Addressing the claims on Keys' beIN Sports show with Andy Gray on Tuesday, Rodgers responded: "As always, there are always stories. Steven was brilliant for me during my time there. Especially in the first couple of years.
"He was towards the latter stage of his career and he was first class.
"So despite what you said at the time, unfortunately it wasn't quite true.
"But listen, it's something you become used to in this game, there are so many stories and gossip, but it was interesting when I read that."
Rodgers was sacked just months after his player's exit in 2015, while Gerrard has since been welcomed back to Liverpool as an academy coach, which started him on his journey into management.
Keys then apologised for his misplaced judgement, though couldn't resist a sly thinly-veiled dig at both Gerrard and Rodgers in the process.
"That is an opinion I held at the time," Keys said. "If he wasn't [being forced out], he should have been the previous year and then he wouldn't have slipped over.
"But I did think we should bring it up and you deserved the right to answer."
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