Liverpool will regroup and win the Premier League title next year if they are denied an elusive piece of silverware this season due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ian Ayre.
Jurgen Klopp's men missed out on the top-flight crown by a single point last term, as Manchester City secured back-to-back-titles after a thrilling race which went right down to the wire.
However, the Reds were able to put their domestic woes behind them to win an all-English Champions League final against Tottenham, and have since built on that platform to emerge as the dominant force in the Premier League.
Liverpool are currently 25 points clear at the top of the standings, and two wins away from securing a first league crown in 30 years. Unfortunately, their accession to the throne has been delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak, which has caused major disruptions to the sporting calendar across the entire globe.
All major European football leagues remain on hiatus as the fight to contain the spread of the disease continues, with a number of countries still in a state of lockdown in accordance with new government legislation.
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It has been suggested that the season should be voided completely if it is unsafe for remaining fixtures to be played out over the summer, meaning Liverpool could end up empty-handed.
Former Reds chief executive Ayre does not believe that such a scenario would halt the club's momentum, with Klopp's winning mentality now permanently embedded within the squad.
“I’ve been a Liverpool fan for 50 years and I’ve always said to people that we never do things the easy way,” Ayre told the Daily Star.
“Look at Istanbul, the League Cup final of 2012, Barcelona last year. It’s the Liverpool way, to some degree. They’ll either get it sorted and win it this year or they won’t, but, whatever happens, they’ll bounce back.
“If it’s not this year, then it will be next year. Jurgen and everybody would say, ‘Bring it on’, if they have to wait.
“When FSG bought Liverpool, one of the things John Henry said, right at the start, was that he wanted to build this team to win and to keep winning. He’s a very smart guy, I’ve got huge respect for him and what he says is completely right.
“Look at last year, we got so close to the title and won the Champions League. Then we’ve gone on to win the Super Cup and the World Club Championship and the club are on course to win the league. You don’t achieve that without having a solid team and a really solid foundation.
“That doesn’t go away overnight. This Liverpool team is very young in comparison to a lot of squads and they won’t have many players rotating out through age or contracts this summer.
“Whether they’re rightly allowed to win the league this year, what will be will be. But I’ve no doubt that, if it doesn’t happen this season, it will happen next season.”