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<\/p>\nFSG chief John Henry was told Liverpool could be like Manchester United before he bought the club in 2010, although he had even bigger ambitions in mind for the Reds<\/p>\n
Liverpool owner and FSG chief John W. Henry.(Image: Nick Taylor\/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Liverpool owner John Henry set out an ambitious plan to \u201cbeat Manchester United\u201d during his discussions to buy the Reds nearly 16 years ago.<\/p>\n
Henry\u2019s Fenway Sports Group<\/a> (FSG) completed its takeover of Liverpool back in October 2010, having bought the club at it\u2019s lowest ebb following Tom Hicks and George Gillett\u2019s disastrous spell at the helm.<\/p>\n Since then, the Reds have been re-established as a major force, having won the Premier League twice and the Champions League, among other trophies, under Henry\u2019s<\/a> ownership. FSG though has found itself on the wrong side of the club\u2019s supporters on a number of occasions though, not least with the 2021 European Super League plans, and the recent decision to raise ticket prices at Anfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Liverpool handed boost without kicking ball as Champions League hopes ended<\/a>READ MORE: John Henry sends timely message to Liverpool fans after Anfield protests<\/a><\/p>\n Nevertheless, Henry has been recognized for his achievements after being awarded the Sports Business Journal\u2019s Lifetime Achievement honor<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a wide-ranging feature with the publication which covers his sporting portfolio, which also includes the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins, it\u2019s detailed how Henry and FSG came to acquiring Liverpool.<\/p>\n Despite originally holding no interest in soccer, Henry was eventually talked into considering buying Liverpool by the Red Sox\u2019s senior vice-president of corporate sales Joe Januszewski, himself a fan of the Reds.<\/p>\n John Henry meets the press after purchasing Liverpool in October 2010(Image: Stan Grossfeld\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)<\/p>\n It\u2019s suggested that Henry saw parallels between the Red Sox and Liverpool, with both teams boasting rich histories, only to have endured lengthy droughts without winning the top honor in their respective countries.<\/p>\n Henry was also drawn to the prospect of being able to market the club globally without interference, something that he was unable to do with the Red Sox and the MLB.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that meeting, when I heard all you can do \u2014 and it\u2019s in bankruptcy? Wow,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n He was also told that a properly capitalized and managed Liverpool would be able to compete with Manchester United<\/a>, which was still the major superpower in the Premier League at that stage, and on the verge of overtaking the Reds\u2019 tally of 18 league titles.<\/p>\n Get LFC’s 2025\/26 season home and away kits<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> From $100<\/p>\n LFC.com<\/p>\n See the deal<\/a><\/p>\n Liverpool’s home and away strips for the 2025\/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.<\/p>\n Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com<\/a> or via the LFC Online Store<\/a> in both the US and across the world.<\/p>\n Upon hearing that, Henry sought to correct the banker advizing him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not doing this to compete with United,\u201d Henry said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing this to beat Man United.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, Henry and FSG traveled to the United Kingdom before eventually completing the deal to buy Liverpool in October 2010.<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_GettyImages-113210121-1.jpg\")
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