Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo reveals how Ian Rush and John Barnes made him top boss

WOLVES boss Nuno Espirito Santo admits watching tapes of Liverpool legends turned him into a top boss.

And the Portuguese manager says he often uses clips of Ian Rush and John Barnes to put a goalscoring spark into his current Molineux team.

Nuno takes on Liverpool at home tonight admitting the Reds side of the 80s formed a big part of his football life.

He took his coaching badges in Scotland when he was 36.

And Nuno recalls the SFA started every session with a video ‘The 50 Best Goals from the 80s’ - which featured Anfield’s star men.

Nuno said: “The Scottish FA used it to try to shape our minds on our love of the game.

“Sometimes, occasionally, we’ll use that here, if we think it will inspire our players, we will do it.

“When you see beautiful things like that you coach better.

“That moment was clearly an inspiration for a love of the game.

“When you use a video it’s always with the same purpose - to try to motivate and inspire some of the things you expect.

“Everybody that was in football remembers that team - Rush, Barnes and the others.

“The first introduction I had with English football was in the FA Cup in the early-80s.

“When you are in Scotland and the instructors, who are over 60, what images are they going to show you? What do you expect.

“As a kid, Liverpool was big for us.”

Nuno believes Jurgen Klopp wants to turn Liverpool into one of the top five clubs in Europe.

But he has no idea if the German will lift the title this season.

Nuno added: “Don’t ask me. Every team and club has its own personal goals and objectives and I’m only concerned about mine.

“But they have a big challenge to achieve the top five of Europe.

“That is clearly their goal.

“Last season was clearly two wingers and a front player and now it’s not the same.

“Sometimes he has four midfielders and one plays wide, but the idea of the game is the same.

“The idea has been building through time and it’s very very difficult to play against.

“Time gives everything to these teams. They are better and they will be better again in the future.

“Our players see a lot of football.

“They know the Liverpool team for sure, and they know us.

“I don’t expect them to recall Barnes and Rush. I expect them to be focused on who they face tonight.”

Wolves skipper Conor Coady grew up a Liverpool fan and represented the club for a decade.

But now he - and even his two sons - wants Wolves to win tonight.

Coady joined Liverpool's academy as a 12-year-old in 2005 and shone alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling.

But he moved to Wolves three years ago - and was part of the side that beat Liverpool in the FA Cup at Anfield in 2017.

Coady said: ”Having gone through that experience it 100 per cent takes a bit away from tonight's game as an emotional occasion, but in a good way.

“I've played Liverpool before and beaten them.

"We want to do it again now.

“But I remember the Cup win was a special day. I hardly slept the night before, I was up at 6am sat in the bath.

"I'd never played at Anfield in a first-team game but I'm a competitive guy and player so I never just wanted to enjoy the day.

"It was special hearing You'll Never Walk Alone and playing in front of the Kop, but as soon as that whistle went it was game time.

"They'd named a lot of young players in their side and I really thought we could do it.

“It didn’t matter that I support them, I wanted to win for Wolves.

“Early on at Liverpool, it was always Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher as my big influences.

“I was lucky enough to train with them and watch them and follow them.

"They never missed a training session or shirked anything.

“It’s important you learn off those people as much as possible.

“Gerrard was more of a match-winner. Carragher, how he spoke and organised things around the training ground, it was great for me to learn from.

"They’d speak to you when they thought you could improve, saying I could do this or that better. It was the same with all the young lads.

“Now, my two boys don’t really know much about Liverpool.

“They’re obsessed with Ruben Neves.

"It's a red household I was brought up in, everyone's a Liverpool fan.

“But the family’ll be supporting Wolves!”