Where next for Brendan Rodgers?

Brendan Rodgers will no doubt be devastated that his three-year reign in charge of Liverpool came to an end on Sunday, however a small part of the Ulsterman may just be relieved that it's all over. The Ulsterman has been relentlessly ridiculed on social media throughout the last year, putting up with a barrel of abuse on almost a daily base, especially in recent weeks.

Rodgers' confidence may have been knocked, ego bruised, and reputation torn to shreds, but let's remember that the former Swansea and Watford gaffer is only 42, and he undoubtedly has a lot to look forward to in the managerial arena.

Jump straight back into the thick of it with struggling Sunderland

Rodgers, 12/1 with Sky Bet, has inevitably been linked with Sunderland, who are on the hunt for a new manager after Dick Advocaat called it quits. Rodgers' reputation may have been ruptured, but the Black Cats would not doubt jump at the chance to lure the Ulsterman up to the north east. However, it's highly doubtful that the 42-year-old would be eager to jump aboard a sinking ship, with the Mackems 19th in the table and winless after eight games.

Wait for another top-flight vacancy to arise...which could be very soon

Rodgers' most likely option is to sit and wait it out until another top-flight vacancy arises, which is likely to happen sooner rather than later. At the time of writing both Steve McClaren (Newcastle) and Tim Sherwood (Aston Villa) are in all sorts of problems in the Premier League Sack Race.

McClaren (the 2/1 favorite for the chop) has yet to win a single league game since taking charge of the Toon, while Sherwood (13/2) slumped to his fourth top-flight defeat on the spin. Both gaffers are under immense pressure, and should results fail to improve after the international break, then one or two new vacancies could rapidly arise.

If Rodgers is keen to keep working in the Premier League then he will have to accept that his next job will be a step down from Liverpool, however this could be just what he needs. Newcastle, as a club, has huge potential, while it wasn't too long ago that Villa were finishing in the top-6.

Jet off to Spain to ease the pain?

Rodgers may be tempted to follow in the footsteps of David Moyes and storm off to Spain to ease the pain and restore his reputation. Moyes fled England following a disastrous 10-month spell in charge of Man United, with La Liga side Real Sociedad welcoming the Scot to the Anoeta Stadium.

A move to the Primera Division could just prove to be the antidote that Rodgers so desperately needs, while he'll largely be allowed to attempt to restore his battered reputation outside of the ubiquitous gaze of the English media. Rodgers, in fact, claims to know a little Spanish, while he has previously expressed an interest in moving to those shores. Alternatively, he could just wing the language like Moyes:

Go into hiding

Alan Curbishley hasn't been seen since 2008, Paolo Di Canio has been MIA since 2013, while Frank Rijkaard has never been the same since leaving Barcelona back in 2008. The annoyingly positive Rodgers doesn't strike us a man who remains down in the dumps for long, meaning he is unlikely to take this route, although it's fair to say that eh deserves a little time off to rest and recuperate.