Jurgen Klopp: Steve McManaman lauds ‘wonderful’ Liverpool manager for impact – ‘Very similar’ to Bill Shankly

Liverpool legend Steve McManaman believes Jurgen Klopp should be considered as one of the club’s all-time greatest managers.

, nearly nine years after moving to Merseyside.

They could yet add a further three honours this season, with the Premier League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup all up for grabs.

But even if Liverpool fail to raise anymore silverware in 2023/24, McManaman told TNT Sports that Klopp has already wrote his name into Anfield folk law.

“He will certainly rank upon the highest,” he said. “If you go back into the history of Liverpool, you have Bill Shankly, who was a great orator, and I think Jurgen is very similar to him.

“Then you also had a very successful manager in Bob Paisley, who was very quiet and quite a dour Scotsman who didn’t give many secrets away. Kenny Dalglish was the same. He didn’t give many secrets away, he didn’t tell the press anything.

“Jurgen, I think, will sit alongside them. He’s a great communicator. He really understood the people of Liverpool and understood the problems that existed with the people in Liverpool and their living conditions and how hard it is to live in various areas.

“What I would say, is that the fans absolutely adore him. If you ever go to Liverpool and ask people what they think of Jurgen Klopp, they hold him in the highest regard. I think that says it all.

“He’s not from Britain, he’s a German man, he’s spent all his life in Germany. To come here and in the last eight years win all the people round, I think speaks volumes of him.

“I know him. He’s a wonderful man. He’s a great man manager. In football, that’s what you need. I think if he ever does an interview, he’s very charismatic. Most people like him.

“I think if you’re a fan of another team, you’d like him as a manager. I think that says a lot. He’d be a great manager to play for.”

Liverpool’s League Cup triumph, a record-extending 10th in the tournament, came despite missing a number of first-team regulars through injury.

Yet with Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and more all sat in the stands, academy stars Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, James McConnell and Jayden Danns starred to help their team to victory.

They are following in the footsteps of McManaman, who made his professional debut for The Reds back in 1990.

He would also lift the League Cup, as well as an FA Cup, during a decade in the first team.

And the former England international believes the future is bright for his former club.

“I still work at the Liverpool Academy,” he continued. “A lot of the players that featured, I know them very well and I’ve trained with them for the last three, four, five, six years.

“It was doubly exciting for me. It was really pleasing. It just shows that the Liverpool Academy in itself is doing an amazing job.”

But can those youngsters help Liverpool win a second Premier League crown this season?

The Reds are currently top of the table, one point above another of McManaman’s former clubs, Manchester City.

And it is Pep Guardiola’s side who he believes are narrow favourites for the title.

“I think they [Liverpool] can [win the title],” he added. “But I think as everybody saw during the Carabao Cup final, the injury list that they have at the moment is extensive.

“So it will be difficult to compete in the three trophies, the FA Cup, the Europa League and the Premier League. They need to get their important players back as soon as possible. I think they can compete, certainly in the Premier League, I hope so.

“March is a huge month. We’ve got the big Premier League games. Liverpool v Manchester City on March 10 will be a pivotal day.

“Arsenal v Manchester City, Manchester City have got a Manchester derby as well, Liverpool are playing Everton. It should pave the way to see who is going to be challenging for the league.

“I think at the moment, with all the situation, Manchester City are favourites, then Liverpool, then Arsenal.

“Liverpool have got a lot of injury worries at the moment. They’ve got a very, very busy period coming up, so it all depends on who’s back and how quickly they can get them back on the pitch.

“Manchester City look as if they’re strong. [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Erling] Haaland’s back. If you look at their bench last week, it was very, very strong.

“If they keep their squad together, even though they’ve got difficult games in March, they’ve got the experience, so I think they’re slight favourites at the moment.”