Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans said Ronnie Moran will be remembered “with great love and affection” following his death at the age of 83.

Moran played for the Reds between 1952 and 1968 before joining the coaching staff at Anfield, serving the club for a total of 49 years.

He twice filled in as caretaker manager, firstly in 1991 following Kenny Dalglish’s resignation and once again in 1992 when boss Graeme Souness underwent heart surgery.

Evans, who worked alongside Moran for many years before including him in his coaching staff when he took over as manager, paid tribute to his former colleague.

“It’s a sad end to a great man’s life,” Evans told BBC Radio Five Live.

“He’s one of these guys that day in, day out, did his job and did a great job for Liverpool Football Club.

"Liverpool and the fans will remember him for the great man that he was and he’ll be sadly missed.

“I’m sure he will be remembered with great love and affection for what he did for our football club and it’s a sad time for us.

“Ronnie Moran is one of the greats of Liverpool.”

Former Reds defender Phil Thompson - who wrote the foreword for Moran’s book ‘Mr Liverpool’ earlier this year - spoke fondly of his “mentor.”

He said the club would not have won half the trophies they did without Moran.

Liverpool won 13 league titles, five FA Cups and four European Cups – among other silverware – during Moran’s near-half-century with the club.

“He was truly wonderful, inspirational, our guide,” Thompson said on Sky Sports News. “

You’re saying ‘Ronnie’ but to us he’s known as ‘Bugsy’, his nickname.

“Throughout all those times, those glory days, you needed somebody to keep the feet on the ground of all these superstars, and this guy was the man.

"Every day, he was the driving force.

“Sometimes as a young man you’d think, ‘nothing satisfies this man’, but without him we would not have won half the trophies.

"This is not just a flippant comment – Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley… great. Ronnie Moran is up there with those two greats."