Liverpool's match with Southampton is Jurgen Klopp's 600th as manager

Liverpool host Southampton on Saturday in the Premier League and, as well as giving the Reds the chance to win the opening seven games of the season for the first time in their history, it also marks Jurgen Klopp’s 600th competitive game as manager, not counting his early days at the Frankfurt Under 10s of course.

It’s been a remarkable rise for the Stuttgart-born former Mainz striker, and latterly a defender.

It was at Mainz where he began his coaching career in 2001, leading the team to its first appearance in the Bundesliga, and qualification for the 2005/06 UEFA Cup.

But in the 2006/07 season, Mainz were relegated and Klopp resigned at the end of the following season when he could not lead them back to the top-flight. He finished with a 40.37 per cent win ratio.

Clearly the poor final season did not deter Borussia Dortmund as they signed Klopp in May 2008. And it was over the next seven years he achieved the high points of his career to date, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12, and doing the domestic double in 2011/12 when the Black and Yellows also won the DFB-Pokal.

For good measure he won the DFL-Supercup in both 2013 and 2014 and also reached the final of the Champions League in 2012/13.

Klopp’s career to date at Liverpool has been characterised by near misses. Under Klopp they have reached (and lost) no less than three finals: the League Cup and Europa League (2015/16) and the Champions League (2017/18).

But this season – aided by a summer spending spree – the Reds seem best placed to make a serious run for the Premier League title that has eluded them since 1989/90.