Jurgen Klopp has delivered an incredible summary of his impact on Liverpool supporters when looking ahead to his Reds exit later this month.
The German will take charge of his final match as Liverpool manager against Wolves on Sunday 19 May, in which he admits will be a ‘really tricky’ encounter on a very emotional day at Anfield.
With the Reds’ recent poor form essentially already ruling them out of the title-race, and with Champions League qualification for next season already secured, attention has inevitably already turned to Klopp’s looming send off.
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During the week, the German had met local supporter and artist Abigail Rudkin at the AXA Training Centre, where she showed him her stunning painting in tribute of the departing Reds boss and his nine years at Anfield, entitled ‘Danke Jurgen’.
Meanwhile, a new mural in honour of Klopp right next to Anfield has also been completed and unveiled.
Speaking after beating Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Klopp was asked about his impending exit and the impact he had had on Liverpool supporters, having famously declared that ‘We need to change from doubters to believers,’ when taking over as manager in 2015.
Paying tribute to Abigail and all the other impressive works of art in tribute of the Reds littered around Liverpool, he delivered a ‘special’ message when reflecting on his impact on the club’s fanbase.
“(I feel) great. So I didn’t think about these kind of things yet but I know for five million reasons that the Wolves game will be really tricky,” he said. “And then the part here to talk about how I feel will be really tricky as well.
“I don’t feel in the moment. We prepare the game, I’m happy we won it. Now you ask me general things.
“I met Abigail. What a wonderful girl she is and obviously very talented. Liked the drawing. But did I think a second before or a second after about it? No, I don’t have time for these things.
“I’m really happy that we have these kinds of people, and we have thousands of them. Maybe 100,000 people who are creative who create things, who paint different faces on the wall where you think, ‘My god!’ Other clubs don’t do that that frequently.
“This is a very, very special club. I didn’t make them believe, I reminded them that it helps when you believe. That’s what I think.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
