The Macclesfield assistant manager was number two to the Liverpool legend during his brief stint at Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia back in 2023, and he can’t understand why he hasn’t been a target for clubs in the UK looking for a manage.

Francis told FourFourTwo magazine: “Robbie is a fantastic manager. It really surprises me that I see people getting jobs and never really see him linked.

“I don’t know why that is – if someone took a chance on Robbie Fowler, they would be getting a very good manager.

“People will think, ‘Oh, he’s trying to help his mate’, but I’m not.

“Such an iconic figure in our country like Robbie Fowler, it baffles me that someone hasn’t looked at his record.

“He’s worked in Australia, travelled all over the world to build his reputation as a manager.

“Not many would do that with a name like Robbie Fowler, so you have to give him great credit.

“I did a management diploma with him – he’s one of the smartest people I’ve come across in football, the way he thinks about the game.”

Robbie and Francis’ stint in Saudi Arabia only lasted four months because the club’s newly-appointed sporting director wanted to bring in his own management team, and the former Everton and Arsenal ace was “gutted” for his colleague.

He said: “It’s a country on the up and we were welcomed with open arms.

“The team were flying, unbeaten in eight, and then it turned sour.

“There was a breakdown in the relationship between the director of football and the owner – certainly not from Robbie’s part, because we were loving it and had the team playing really well.

“I was absolutely gutted for Robbie – no one likes to lose their job and when the manager goes, I go with him.”