Liverpool defender Nat Phillips has revealed that boss Jurgen Klopp personally intervened to ensure a loan move to Bundesliga 2 outfit Stuttgart.
The young centre half signed a new contract with the Reds, before linking up with the German side on a one-year deal.
Phillips played a part in Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the US, and has nothing but nice things to say about Klopp. “I told Jurgen Klopp about a few offers I had, Stuttgart was not one of them at that time” he told Bild.
“Jurgen was not enthusiastic about the options and I think he called Sven Mislintat shortly after our meeting.
“Klopp congratulated me on this move and he immediately wrote me a message on his phone: ‘Good club, great city, my birthplace, I wish you a great time.”
This is a great bit of insight from Nat – it’s nice to know Klopp wants to make sure that his players – up and down the roster – go to the right clubs for their development.
With Stuttgart being a recently-relegated side, they’re similar to Liverpool in that everyone wants to beat them. “The VfB is a bit like the Liverpool of the 2nd League,” Phillips explained, “everyone wants to beat the club, for many opponents it is the game of the year.
“Tim Walter is a bit like Klopp – both of them are very positive, have fun, are passionate and dedicated, and that’s great for the fans as well as for us players.”
Loan deals are important for young players, and the right moves are vital, so it’s superb to see that Klopp has gone out of his way to ensure Phillips takes the correct path.