I would love to know too mate, Kenny doesn't say in his book. I presume the first approach was more in the way of a general enquiry than a real offer. Or maybe they just reconsidered Souness' position.
The second one I think they must have bottled it like they did with Evans when Houllier came in. They probably asked Evans would he step back to first team coach if Kenny came back..... Evans unsurprisingly probably said no and so it became " We don’t think the time’s right".
Kenny was very upset because he had burned his boats with Blackburn so he would be available to return too. (In his book, but not in the first excerpt I found)
Edit - found a longer excerpt) Still doesn't explain why though.
The call was a pleasant surprise, a welcome reminder of my Liverpool home.
It came through from reception at Ewood Park to inform me that Peter Robinson was at the ground, picking up tickets for the Liverpool game the following day, and he wanted to say ‘hello’.
The date was April 2, 1993 and I’d been manager at Blackburn Rovers since October 1991, enjoying the task of rebuilding this famous old Lancashire mill-town club.
Driving into Ewood, I saw PBR standing there, and all the Liverpool memories raced back – the European Cups, League titles, open-topped bus rides and non-stop banter.
‘‘Hop in, Peter, I’ll give you a lift back up to the car park,’’ I said.
When he’d settled in the passenger seat, PBR turned to me and asked, ‘‘Kenny, when are you coming home?’’
‘‘What do you mean?’’
‘‘When are you coming back to Liverpool, Kenny?’’
‘‘Peter, you just have to ask.’’
‘‘OK,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s up to yourselves,’’ I added. ‘‘You just need to phone.’’
PBR nodded, climbed out of the car and walked across to his. Liverpool never phoned, though, and regret has been my constant companion ever since. My hopes were lifted and dashed.
I’d have leapt at the chance to rejoin Liverpool. The people at Blackburn were special, really unassuming, but Anfield was home.
Ewood never felt like home.
Before the start of the 1994–95 season, a year that was to climax so gloriously for Rovers with the Premier League title, the chairman, Robert Coar, called me into his office.
‘‘We want to give you a new contract, Kenny,’’ Robert said, pointing out that my current deal expired in October 1994.
‘‘No, I’m not signing.’’
‘‘Why?’’
‘‘I’ll honour my contract to October, but I’m not staying.’’
‘‘OK,’’ said the chairman. ‘‘You can take some gardening leave until October.’’
I felt he was challenging me, not believing I’d stand down. ‘‘Aye, no problem,’’ I said and walked out.
My time at Blackburn looked over. The next thing I knew, Ray Harford was on the phone, sounding nervous.
‘‘What’s going on?’’ he said.
‘‘Well, Ray, my contract is up in October and the board have asked me to sign a new one. I told them I’ll honour the contract I’ve got but I’m going no further.’’
‘‘You can’t do that,’’ said Ray, shocked.
My hope was that Liverpool would come in for me. They’d have to move quickly, getting me in for pre-season and paying Rovers compensation to October.
When I was on holiday, I got a phone-call from Liverpool.
‘‘Will you come and speak to us?’’ PBR asked.
‘‘Of course.’’
‘‘We just want to know whether you would be interested in coming back to the club,’’ Peter said.
‘‘Of course I am interested.’’
I couldn’t pack fast enough, jumping on a plane and, once back in England, hurtling up to David Moores’ house.
PBR, Roy Evans, Tom Saunders and David were already there. Scarcely had I sat down when Peter announced, ‘‘We don’t think the time’s right for you to come home.’’
I was taken aback.
‘‘What?’’ I said.
‘‘We just don’t think the time’s right.’’
‘‘Why phone me and ask me to come back if you don’t think the time’s right?’’ I was furious. ‘‘I want to come back to Liverpool.
‘‘I wouldn’t be sitting here now otherwise. I did a good job the first time.’’
Liverpool’s logic baffled me then, and still does now. Never before in all my life have I felt such anger. My stomach was churning as I got in the car and sped off to Anfield, of all places, because Paul was playing some game for Liverpool reserves.
So what was the board playing at? Why lead me up the garden path and then shut the gate in front of me? So I returned to Robert.
‘‘Chairman, look, I’ll tell you what I’ll do,’’ I offered. ‘‘I’ll sign a contract extension to the end of the season and that’s me finished.’’
And that’s what happened.
