LONDON: After sacking Brendan Rodgers following a disappointing start to the Premier League season, Liverpool are in the hunt for a new manager.

AFP Sports runs the rule over five potential candidates for the job.

Juergen Klopp (GER)

Age: 48

Teams managed: Mainz (GER/2001-2008), Borussia Dortmund (GER/2008-2015)

The madcap German, as charismatic in press conferences as he is animated on the touchline, has been installed as the early favourite to succeed Rodgers.

A passionate advocate of what he calls “heavy metal” football, the 48-year-old instilled a style of high-octane pressing football that saw Borussia Dortmund twice pip Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and reach the 2013 Champions League final.

His track record of crafting over-achieving teams from relatively meagre resources is likely to appeal to Liverpool's American owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and he has spoken of his fondness for English football in the past.

Carlo Ancelotti (ITA)

Age: 56

Teams managed: Reggiana (ITA/1995-96), Parma (ITA/1996-1998), Juventus (ITA/1999-2001), AC Milan (ITA/2001-2009), Chelsea (ENG/2009-2011), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA/2011-2013), Real Madrid (ESP/2013-2015)

Out of work following his dismissal by Real Madrid, Ancelotti is well-known to English football fans due to a two-year spell at Chelsea that yielded a memorable double of Premier League and FA Cup trophies in 2010.

Famed for his wry demeanour and permanently arched eyebrow, the Italian boasts an unrivalled pedigree in European competition, having lifted the Champions League trophy on three occasions as a manager.

The 56-year-old is thought to be ready to return to work after a back operation, but he does not chime as perfectly with the FSG philosophy as Klopp.

Frank de Boer (NED)

Age: 45

Teams managed: Ajax (NED/2010-date)

Formerly a classy, ball-playing centre-back, De Boer led Ajax to four consecutive Eredivisie titles between 2010 and 2014 before finishing second behind PSV Eindhoven last season.

While he lacks top-level experience, having never coached in the Champions League knockout phase, he has a proven track record when it comes to developing young players.

In a BBC interview last week, he expressed interest in working in England and described Liverpool as a “fantastic club”.

Ronald Koeman (NED)

Age: 52

Teams managed: Vitesse Arnhem (NED/2000-2001), Ajax (NED/2001-2005), Benfica (POR/2005-2006), PSV Eindhoven (NED/2006-2007), Valencia (ESP/2007-2008), AZ Alkmaar (NED/2009), Feyenoord (NED/2011-2014), Southampton (ENG/2014-date)

Since arriving at Southampton in 2014, Koeman has impressed by keeping the south-coast club punching above their weight despite the departures of several key players.

They finished seventh in his first season and stunned defending champions Chelsea on Saturday with a superb 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

But he is barely a year into a three-year contract and does not appear to possess the 'X factor' that Liverpool are looking for in their next head coach.

Juergen Klinsmann (GER)

Age: 51

Teams managed: Germany (2004-2006), Bayern Munich (GER/2008-2009), United States (2011-date)

A leftfield candidate, United States coach Klinsmann has been given odds of 20-1 to succeed Rodgers by British bookmakers.

The 51-year-old knows about English football from his two spells with Tottenham Hotspur in the 1990s and laid the foundations for Germany's 2014 World Cup success during his two-year spell as national coach between 2004 and 2006.

The former Germany striker led the United States out of a daunting group at the World Cup, but his only experience of club management was a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich that lasted less than a year.