DT Exclusive: Kenny Dalglish treats a reporter like a human being

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has had a prickly relationship with the press and often makes no effort to hide his disdain for their questions. After Liverpool's 3-2 win against Blackburn, Dalglish displayed this yet again. The following is a transcript of Kenny Dalglish actually being nice to a reporter.

Reporter: Kenny, do you players deserve credit for the character and determination they showed?

Dalglish: They do. They really do. I'm glad you said that. By the way, I baked you some brownies.

Reporter: Cheers, Kenny. (Takes a bite) My, that's delicious. Thank you.

Dalglish: Yeah, I was going to put poison in them -- enough to kill you in the most slow and agonizing way possible, of course -- but at the last minute I decided not to.

Reporter: Oh...OK.

Dalglish: Anyway, ask anything you'd like! I'm here for you. I mean that. I really mean that.

Reporter: Right. In the late stages of the game, were you always confident you'd win?

Dalglish: I was. To be honest, I'd like to just have that be my whole answer to the question and do, like, a dismissive shrug or something, but that would be condescending, so I'll say yes, I was quite confident and now I'll take this eyelash off your cheek so you can blow it and make a wish.

Reporter: That's....yeah. OK. (Blows eyelash off Kenny's finger) What did you think of the red card for your goalkeeper?

Dalglish: Yeesh, well, I'd rather not talk about that because I want to go back and watch it first, but I know you have to ask because you're doing your job and it's a necessary question so, I'll just say I'm sorry I can't answer and please take the shirt I'm wearing right now as a sign of my contrition. I'll pay for the dry cleaning.

Reporter: That's really not necessary, Kenny. But on the second goal- (Kenny starts to leave)

Dalglish: Wow, oh my god -- that was weird. I thought we were done here but then you started to ask another question and I immediately felt bad for being so presumptuous. Now I'm embarrassed. Even more embarrassed than the time I mistook Jordan Henderson for an actor who was only at Liverpool to do research for a film and then stayed longer than he was supposed to.

Reporter: It's alright. We'll end with the stupidest question I can possibly think of: Does winning make your team feel happy?

Dalglish: Normally I would call up your parents and berate them until they cry for raising a person who would ask an utterly worthless question like that, but yes. It makes us happy. And, you know, now that I've answered it I see how harmless it was and that it wouldn't have been worth being grumpy about anyway. We're alive right now and we're both earning a good living off a game we enjoy. Isn't that grand?

Reporter: It is. Thank you for your time, Kenny.

Dalglish: No, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Patrice Evra and hug him until he giggles.