Garry Monk has revealed his old manager Brendan Rodgers has allowed Swansea to use Liverpool's training base before their FA Cup tie at Tranmere next week -- but fears the offer could be withdrawn if the Welsh club win at Anfield on Monday night.
Monk and Rodgers forged a close bond working together at Swansea and that relationship has lasted the test of time even though they are now managerial opponents in the Premier League.
Rodgers steered Swansea into the top flight in 2011, when Monk was club captain at the Liberty Stadium, and the pair have already spoken this week before pitting their wits against each other at Anfield.
"We have Liverpool and then Tranmere away in the cup," Monk said of a congested festive programme which has already brought Swansea wins over Hull and Aston Villa.
"After we play QPR on New Year's Day we travel straight to Liverpool for the Tranmere game and I asked Brendan if we can use the facilities there.
"He said yes -- but it depends on the result! He is a great guy, a fantastic manager and a person I look up to. We chat regularly about football and everything. What he has done in his career is something I aspire to in mine.
"He was at Reading, Watford and here, and within a couple of years he was managing Liverpool.
"He is an inspiration to someone like myself and one of the most mentally strong people I know."
Rodgers has had a difficult time this season after almost guiding Liverpool to their first domestic title for 24 years last term.
Liverpool are down in ninth spot -- one place and three points adrift of Swansea -- and Rodgers' acumen in the transfer market has been seriously questioned with many of his signings failing to impress at Anfield.
But Monk insists there is no better man to be managing Liverpool than the 41-year-old Northern Irishman, who has been boosted by four points from the last two games against Arsenal and Burnley.
"He is seven points off a top four spot and the perfect man for that job," Monk said.
"Every manager will go through difficult moments -- I know I will -- and he is coming through it. He is producing good results and the team are playing a lot better.
"My friendship with him will always be there but I want to beat him and he wants to beat me. My job is to do the best for my players and that is what I will be doing."
Monk has overseen Swansea's best start to a Premier League campaign with 28 points from 18 games and has silenced the pre-season doubters who felt the rookie manager would preside over a relegation struggle.
And after back-to-back festive victories the 35-year-old is clearly looking up rather than down the table and has urged his players to "hunt the teams" above them.
"I felt that when I took this job at the start of the season that I needed a plan to put on the pitch," Monk said.
"A lot of people would doubt myself, the squad and what we could achieve, and a lot had us down as relegation favourites.
"Having that plan has helped me and helped the team, I have a long-term plan but in the short term I need to get results and we are getting them.
"The 40-point mark secures the club and we are in a very good position.
"It is about creating expectation without getting carried away and I said to the players in the build-up to this period that I don't want to be that team looking over their shoulder as we have in the past.
"We have to be mindful of what's below us but I want them to hunt the teams in front and have that mentality going into games."
