From A Teen Regional Player To Salzburg Boss, Jesse Marsch Set For 'Incredible' Liverpool Return

A tinge of nostalgia awaits Red Bull Salzburg manager, Jesse Marsch, when he will lead his side out at Anfield on Wednesday night. The moment will take the American back in time when he visited the iconic stadium as a 15-year-old in 1989.

Speaking to the Times, Marsch narrated the story of his first visit to Anfield and how he had plucked some dirt from the pitch as a souvenir.

"I was playing for a regional US team and we had a schoolboys’ tournament just north of Liverpool and we were able to get tickets and watch Liverpool play. It was a few months after the Hillsborough tragedy and that team was loaded with [John] Barnes, [Peter] Beardsley and [Steve] McMahon. I got an away jersey and after the game made my way down to the field level and managed to get some dirt from the pitch. I put it in my pocket and I kept it. To go back there again as a manager is incredible," the Salzburg manager said.

During his days as a professional soccer player, Marsch played in the Major League Soccer (MLS) for as long as 14 years. He was a part of three clubs - DC United, Chicago Fire, and Chivas USA - and overall, he won three league titles and four US Open trophies.

The American was also certain about his post-playing plans as he knew he would take up coaching. Soon after retiring, he took up the assistant manager's role with the US national team and got an opportunity to work under the highly respected Bob Bradley.

He managed a few clubs in the MLS such as Montreal Impact and New York Bulls. He was also named MLS Coach of the Year in 2015. In July 2018, he chose to take up assignments in European football. After a brief stint as Ralf Rangnick's assistant in RB Leipzig, he finally bagged the manager's job at Salzburg.

It was a special feat for Marsch when his Austrian side opened their Champions League campaign last month against Genk. That game made Marsch the very first American-born coach to lead a team in the Champions League group stage. Salzburg's 6-2 victory was the only cherry on the cake.

While Group E table-toppers Salzburg kick-started the European tournament with a terrific win, their next opponents, Liverpool suffered a 2-0 loss to Napoli.