Former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli aims fresh dig at "worst coach" Brendan Rodgers

Former Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli has aimed a fresh dig at ex-coach Brendan Rodgers, reviving their longstanding feud.

Former Reds boss Rodgers was appointed at Anfield in 2012 and struggled to entirely win over the Liverpool crowd during his time on Merseyside.

One point of contention was when he brought former Manchester City striker and renowned controversial character Balotelli to the club in 2014, Rodgers signing the Italian for £16m to replace the outgoing Luis Suarez.

It's fair to say that Balotelli endured a pretty torrid time on his return to the Premier League, featuring just 28 times and netting on only four occasions in a red shirt.

The now Adana Demirspor forward moved to Milan on loan the following summer before a permanent exit in 2016 to Nice after Jurgen Klopp made it clear he had no plans for him.

Rodgers and Balotelli never saw eye to eye at Anfield, the current Celtic manager admitting he "couldn’t really connect with Mario" and the Italian attacker never too far from controversy.

The pair have enjoyed verbal duels in the past, with Balotelli reigniting their feud by recently labelling Rodgers "the worst coach" he has ever had.

"Brendan Rodgers is the worst coach I have ever had," Balotelli told TVPlay (via the Daily Star). "He was number one as far as training sessions were concerned, what with keeping possession of the ball and the small-sided games. But as a person he was a disaster."

Balotelli, while not being the easiest player to deal with himself, is not the first player to have criticised Rodgers for his lack of personability, Leicester City defender Jannik Vestergaard being the most recent to call out the Northern Irishman.

Ultimately, Balotelli's arrival at Anfield was never likely to work out, with Rodgers having labelled it a "gamble" in the past and Balotelli branding it the "worst mistake of his life".

Fortunately, Klopp was able to come in and quickly create a more harmonious dressing room atmosphere after Rodgers' departure.