Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers admits admiration for Van Gaal

Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool defeated Manchester United home and away in the Premier League last season

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits he studied the work of Louis van Gaal as he was developing his own coaching career.

Rodgers said he looked up to the Dutchman, now a rival as Manchester United manager.

"When you come through as a coach, you look at the guys who have a vision and a philosophy, and he was obviously one of those guys," said Rodgers.

"I've obviously been an admirer of his work and his career."

He added: "He's a very experienced manager and a very good manager who has worked at some big clubs."

After injury curtailed his playing career at the age of 20, Rodgers travelled extensively to learn coaching techniques before being given a job in Chelsea's Academy by Jose Mourinho.

The Northern Irishman, 41, has since successfully climbed the managerial ladder, leading Liverpool to second place in the Premier League last season.

He will now compete directly with Van Gaal and has warned the 62-year-old, who has won league titles in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, that he may find the competitive nature of the Premier League surprising.

"I think what he'll find is the competition in this league will be different to any other league that he's worked in," Rodgers said.

Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-1 in the final of the International Champions Cup in Miami on Monday

"In a lot of the other leagues, there are one or two teams and those are the teams that are expected to win.

"This is a league where the top team plays the bottom team and, on any given day, you can lose. You don't get that a lot in the other leagues.

"I think the competition will probably take him by [surprise], and that's from foreign managers I have spoken to over the years."

The first Premier League meeting of the season between Manchester United and Liverpool is scheduled for Old Trafford on Saturday, 13 December.