Klopp pays tribute to Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard

Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard after guiding the club to their first league title in 30 years.

Celebrations are in full swing at the Merseyside outfit where the Liverpool boss has turned the club's fortunes around in five years to make them champions of England, Europe and the world.

But the 53-year-old was keen to point out in an open letter to the Liverpool Echo that the recent success achieved by the club was built on the foundations laid by the likes of Dalglish and Gerrard.

Before Klopp, Dalglish was the last Liverpool manager to win the league title and in his second spell at the club between 2011 and 2012 made the key acquisition to sign current Reds skipper Jordan Henderson from Sunderland.

However it is Dalglish's understanding of the club and its fanbase that Klopp feels helps drive the connection between the club and its supporters.

'I would like to pay special tribute to two of our former players who set many of the standards that all of us have to follow,' he wrote.

'Sir Kenny Dalglish is the soul of this club. His understanding of what Liverpool is and what it means to the people is vital to everything that we do.

'I saw how happy he was after we were confirmed as champions on Thursday and his smile meant so much to me that I can’t put it into words.

Klopp also pointed towards the contributions of Gerrard who retired in the summer of 2015 just a few months before the German took charge at Anfield.

Naming the current Rangers manager as a 'symbol' of Liverpool along with Dalglish, he states that Gerrard should be remembered for helping put the club in a position to challenge for honours.

'Steven Gerrard is the legs. He carried the club in so many ways as a player and there is no one who deserves this title more than he does,' Klopp continued.

'Along with Kenny, Steven is a symbol of this club and it is important that at a moment like this that we remember everything that all of our former players and former managers did to help put us in the position that we are in today.'

With the Reds out of the Champions League and the FA Cup, they head into the end of the season looking to compound their title success by setting new Premier League records.

With 86 points and seven matches to play, Klopp's side could still officially become the most dominant side in history as they look set to eclipse the 100 points earned by Manchester City two years ago.

The Reds travel to the Eithad Stadium in their next encounter on Thursday, with the former champions ready to give a sporting guard of honour to mark Liverpool's title success.