‘True leader Klopp is Liverpool’s inspiration'

Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders has lifted the lid on what it is like to work under Jurgen Klopp – a man he clearly has the utmost respect for.

Lijnders has been Klopp’s No.2 at Anfield since returning to the club in 2018 and has helped the Reds attain Champions League glory and push themselves to the brink of a first Premier League title, having won 19 of their first 20 matches in the competition this season to establish a 13-point advantage over second-placed Leicester.

The Dutchman has emphasised just how important the German head coach has been in the resurgence of a side that has not won the English crown in 30 years.

“Jurgen is a true leader. He’s inspirational and motivational. He still surprises me every day with something he says. His brain works differently to a lot of other brains!” he told The Athletic.

“He sees through situations and processes. There is a saying that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. And I think everyone who works with Jurgen has the feeling he really cares about you and your development. There is no ego, he purely searches for the right thing to do.”

He expanded upon this point by explaining the remarkable man-management skills of the ex-Dortmund boss.

“When Jurgen speaks to the players, he speaks from the heart and it goes directly into the hearts of the players,” he says.

“He has this remarkable capacity to touch people with the words he selects. That’s not easy, especially with this level of players. I find that intriguing, how it’s possible, the convincing way he has and that ability to touch people. You are dealing with a lot of egos in football but in our club, it looks like there are no egos.

“Jurgen has created an environment where everyone has bought into it. He solves problems before they arise. He has this capacity of making sure that certain things won’t happen because he speaks about them. The level of respect the players have for him is huge.

“No written word, no spoken plea, can teach our team what they should be, nor all the books on the shelves, it’s what the coach is himself. Do you know what I mean? The character of the coach becomes the character of the team. You can see it throughout the club. That’s the power of Jurgen’s personality.”