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I won't copy Kenny and make Reds cameo – Klopp happy to stay on Liverpool touchline

Jurgen Klopp will stick to his touchline duties at Anfield when Liverpool face Chelsea, before the Premier League trophy presentation.

By John Skilbeck
Jurgen Klopp - cropped

London, July 21: Jurgen Klopp laughed off the idea he could copy Kenny Dalglish by making a cameo appearance for Liverpool on the night they lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield.

Thirty years ago, player-boss Dalglish made what proved to be his final outing for the Reds by coming off the bench against Derby County in a 1-0 home win.

Liverpool were presented with the First Division trophy that night, and it has taken 30 years for them to be crowned English champions again.

Reds great Dalglish will be in the presentation party on Wednesday, when captain Jordan Henderson hoists aloft the trophy after the match against Chelsea.

And when Dalglish's sign-off game as a 39-year-old was mentioned at Klopp's pre-match news conference on Tuesday, the German was quick to insist: "There's no chance I'll come on as a sub in the game tomorrow night."

Klopp could not be happier that Dalglish will have a role to play when the trophy and medals are handed out.

"It's great, absolutely great," Klopp said.

The German recalled watching television coverage of the night Liverpool were confirmed as champions last month, after Manchester City's defeat to Chelsea.

After being interviewed himself, Klopp was able to relax and recalled: "We saw Kenny and Graeme Souness sitting there in the studio, wherever they were, and how much it meant to them. It was nice to see.

"This club touches you, gets you, and even if you wanted, I don't think you could ever get rid of it. This club is so big and so emotional, and you stay together forever pretty much.

"I'm really happen Kenny will be around. He deserves it. The most deserved nickname, King Kenny will be in the stadium, exactly there where he has to be when Liverpool win something.

"I'm really happy about that, as happy as I was for Steven Gerrard."

Klopp explained how he and former Reds captain Gerrard, now manager of Rangers, had been in contact during and since lockdown.

"It means so much to him and it means so much to Carra [Jamie Carragher] and all the players in the past that tried so hard," Klopp said.

"They know exactly what this team did, and they know exactly how big the pressure can feel when you are close.

"My boys did sensationally well and I'm happy they recognise it as much as my team recognise exactly how much it means to that generation of players, because they were outstanding as well and they have a massive, massive Liverpool heart so it's for all of them as well."

Story first published: Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 22:29 [IST]
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