Former Liverpool fan favourite is SACKED after suffering relegation from Belgian top flight... as club reveals they've already hired his replacement

Former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has been fired as manager of Belgian side Beerschot. 

The 44-year-old was appointed by Beerschot in December 2023 and guided them to promotion to the Belgian Pro League in his first season. 

However, the club struggled in the top flight and were relegated after just five wins from 36 matches. 

Beerschot have now parted ways with Kuyt despite his popularity with supporters. 

'The club sincerely thank Dirk Kuyt for his commitment, dedication and positive contribution,' said Beerschot in a statement. 

'His energy and involvement were a source of inspiration within the team. We wish him every success in the continuation of his coaching career.

'The new head coach will be introduced later today.'

Speaking last month, Kuyt admitted he was unhappy and criticised the club's poor facilities. 

'The worst thing I found was that at one point we simply didn't have a field to train on', he told Het Laatste Nieuws. 

'We couldn't train on the field during the last training session before our home match against Union Saint-Gilloise, as there was no training ground available and our main field was being rebuilt. We worked in the gym and prepared the boys with video footage.'

He added: 'At one point, I started driving around Antwerp itself looking for fields to train on. I saw amateur clubs that had five or six fields, while we didn't have a single one. It was appalling. I mean what I say: I don't feel too good for anything. I'm happy to work hard and give it my all, but only in the role for which I was hired.' 

The Dutchman previously managed Feyenoord's youth sides and had a short-lived stint in charge of ADO Den Haag, where he was also sacked after just 16 games.

As a player, Kuyt is best known in England for his time at Liverpool where he became a fan favourite. 

During his six seasons on Merseyside the former Holland international scored 71 goals in 285 games for the Reds and was part of their 2011-12 League Cup success - scoring in the final against Cardiff City. 

He departed Merseyside in 2012 and joined Fenerbahce where he spent three years before make the switch back to Feyenoord and eventually retiring in 2017.

At international level, Kuyt made 104 appearances for the Netherlands, scoring 24 goals.