Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp was confirmed as the winner of the LMA Manager of the Year award earlier this week. The former Borussia Dortmund man was delighted to join the list of previous managers to win the accolade.
Klopp led Liverpool to their first league title success for 30 years, winning the Premier League by 18 points on a grand total of 99. The Reds lost just three games all season – with two of those defeats coming when his side had already secured the title.
Liverpool have now lost just four league games over TWO complete Premier League campaigns, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League trophies all in the last 14 months.
On receiving his award, a proud Klopp said:
“I am absolutely delighted to get this wonderful trophy. It’s really wonderful and I had already the opportunity to have a look who won it before and there are obviously a lot of big, big Liverpool names involved.
“Not only Liverpool names but big, big Liverpool names as well. Bill Shankly, I think, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny [Dalglish] – it looks like he’s all over the trophy everywhere! Brendan [Rodgers] won it, well deserved.
“And Sir Alex Ferguson – and I know it’s not 100 per cent appropriate as a Liverpool manager – but I admire him. He was the first British manager I met and we had breakfast together. It was long ago and I’m not sure if he remembers it still, but I remember it forever because it was for me in this moment like meeting the Pope if you want!”
In typically modest and humble fashion, Klopp was eager to point out the work of his backroom team and highlighting the effort put in by people who do not get enough praise.
“It was absolutely great and from the first second we really clicked and I wouldn’t have thought in that moment that one day I would hold the trophy in my hands, which is named after him. But, I have to say ‘thank you’ to a lot of people. It’s easy to say and sometimes I think it sounds like we have to say it but it’s easy to say in my case: I am here on behalf of my coaches.
“I said it a lot of times, that I’m OK as a manager, but they make me, they make us, a really special bunch of football brains and I love to work with them together. To work together with Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz, John Achterberg, Vitor Matos and Jack Robinson – it’s a pleasure.
“I could carry on with the list forever because we have so many great people here who made it happen that this year we won the title, and I only got this trophy because of that, I know. My players, all the people that I work together with, I take this and I love it for all of us together and I’m happy to show you a few pictures and maybe we can make a few pictures together. Then we will all remember it forever.
“Thank you very much, a very special season with a very special award in the end. Thank you, I am really honoured to get it.”
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