Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has lifted the lid on his relationship with manager Jurgen Klopp as the dynamic duo continue to push the club to new heights.
Under the pair, Liverpool are on course to have one of their greatest-ever campaigns. The Reds sit a mammoth 13 points clear at the top of the table and are yet to lose with a game in hand, are through to the FA Cup fourth round as well as the last-16 of the Champions League - the latter in which they are defending champions.
Key to the club's success is the partnership between Klopp and Pep Lijnders. Speaking about working with Klopp, Lijnders was effusive in his praise for the German labelling him as 'inspirational' and someone who 'still surprises me every day with something he says'.
'There's a super dynamic between us,' Lijnders told The Athletic.
'It's much more than just assistant and manager. What I mean by that is that I believe you need 100 per cent trust in this job because we have to make so many decisions on a daily basis.
'I love working for him. He sees who I am, and respects that. We know what to expect from each other.
'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 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.'
Lijnders initially was Liverpool's Under 16s coach and spent three-and-a-half years working as a link between the first team and the club's academy. After a brief stint as a manager with NEC Nijmegen, Lijnders returned to the club in the summer of 2018 as Klopp's assistant - helping them win the Champions League and the Club World Cup in 2019.