With the Reds having now touched down in Indiana for the first stage of their United States pre-season tour, the focus will be on preparations to face Jürgen Klopp’s former side, Borussia Dortmund, in friendly number one.
At the Bundesliga side is where Klopp truly made a name for himself as one of football’s top managers, a fact that Wayne Rooney had to admit through gritted teeth in an interview with Bild.
Previously playing for the Reds’ nemeses at Everton and Manchester United, he’s now plying his trade in the MLS with DC United and had this to say:
“Jurgen is a coach every professional would like to play for. You can tell his players how much fun they have with him. I’ve met him a couple of times, he’s a great person.
“His only mistake is that he works at Liverpool and has success there!
“I have great respect for Jurgen Klopp and what he has done so far. Not only in Liverpool, but also in Dortmund. He has the best years ahead of him.”
Do we necessarily care what Rooney has to say about Klopp and Liverpool? No. But the fact that he can’t help but compliment the German shows just how much of a likeable and successful manager he is.
The only fault he can find with Klopp is that he is at the helm of our club, but at least he can find a way to show our German boss the enormous amounts of respect he deserves as a Champions League-winning manager of the best team in Europe.