'Making a film with my hero was so weird'

ASIF Kapadia admits the latest subject of his celebrated documentary career is slightly different than his previous work.

- By RYAN PATON

The Academy Award winning director has won critical acclaim for his series of incredible features on the lives of Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse and Diego Maradona.

Sir Kenny Dalglish may not be as complicated a figure as those late stars, but the Liverpool FC icon equally defined a generation - and Asif told the ECHO in an exclusive interview why he was drawn to his story.

The 53-year-old said: “This is a different one because this is personal.

“This is the guy whose picture I had on my wall. Iwas born in the 70s so I remember when Kenny joined [Liverpool FC from Celtic].

“For me, he was my hero so it was really weird making a film and getting to know the guy whose picture you had on your wall when you were a kid.

“But also when that opportunity comes, I thought that doesn’t happen often, so I've got to do it.

“I’ve got to make a film for people like me of my generation who remember him, but also my kids’ generation who've never seen him play.

“They might have seen the odd YouTube clip, but they only really know him from playing FIFA.”

Asif wanted to capture the person, as well as the player, and Dalglish’s humble everyman quality is what makes his life story even more extraordinary.

In addition to being one of the greatest players to ever grace the turf at Anfield, the legendary Scot will always be on the right side of history for the remarkable way he stood up for a city and club in mourning in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.