Liverpool assistant reveals convincing Klopp talk that led to him taking job

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has revealed a conversation with Jurgen Klopp persuaded him to come back to the club in 2018.

Lijnders is currently serving as one of Klopp’s right-hand men, after returning to Anfield in 2018.

The Dutchman had been part of the Liverpool setup since 2014, one year before Klopp’s arrival. However, he left in January 2018 to become manager of NEC in his native country.

That spell lasted only a few months before he was sacked, after which Lijnders returned to Liverpool. Klopp’s number two Zeljko Buvac had left the club, which made space for Lijnders to return.

Now, the 37-year-old coach has revealed how Klopp managed to convince him to return to Merseyside.

“Jürgen wanted me to come back to be his assistant,” he told TV2 (via Sport Witness). “He said that we could both be responsible for everything that happens inside the club, and was very clear on what he wanted.

“He was convinced that we could take the club further, and that together we could manage to conquer a lot.

“I had also formed an image of what things could look like, and it was specifically in that moment that everything became clear to me.

“Jürgen has that ability to touch your heart. He knows exactly what he wants, and when we talked on the phone it felt right.”

 


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Lijnders explains Liverpool success

Since his return, Lijnders has seen Liverpool win four trophies – including the elusive Premier League title that they had been waiting so long for.

Explaining what has made them so successful, Lijnders said: “We always focus on ourselves.

“We have an aggressive attitude that makes us want to attack the opponent both with and without the ball, for 95 minutes. We will dominate matches no matter who we play against, and in every single moment of the match.

“Our team wants to play in the opponent’s half of the pitch, block their opportunities and play varied from behind. We have to be very aggressive in the moments where we lose the ball. Such moments require very high intensity and focus.

“We want to do it both away and at home, against Barcelona, everywhere and against anyone.”

READ MORE: Dutch coach tipped to one day succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool