Pep Ljinders has outlined how Jurgen Klopp had informed him that his Liverpool tenure was coming to an end months before his exit plan was formally announced.
The German, 56, sent shockwaves through the Premier League last month when he revealed that he would be standing down in the summer. He has been in charge for over eight years since joining the club back in October 2015.
While Klopp’s decision took plenty of people aback, there were some within Anfield who were in the loop. That includes Klopp’s long-time assistant and confidante Ljinders, who admits they had conversations about leaving during the summer.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, Ljinders opened up the discussions he’d had with Klopp. He said: “Nobody will replace Jurgen. I was clear, to be honest, when we had the talk a long time ago – for me it was clear and it made it easier for me.
Liverpool’s likely XI to face Chelsea in Carabao Cup final as injuries mount up
“We knew in the summer, ‘OK we are going towards the end of this project’. It’s too much about me…we play in a final in 48 hours. I understand, so I think I have given answers in interviews.”
He then went on to outline that he has previously rejected offers to branch out on his own. But after returning from a brief stint in charge of NEC in 2018, it was always part of the plan for him to stick with Klopp until the end.
Ljinders continued: “I always got offers and my heart says yes, but my loyalty to Mike [Gordon] and Jurgen said no. So we agreed to finish this project together and it is the right way to do it. They will find a new coach with ideas and I am excited to manage to find the right club. But until the last final of the season I am focused on Liverpool and that is why we have agents, no?”
A report from The Telegraph earlier this month outlined that Klopp recognises his new-look Liverpool are team have made significant progress far sooner than expected. That played a part in his exit plan, with the report going on to theorise that had the Reds struggled this term then Klopp may have been enticed into delaying his exit beyond the summer.
With Klopp believing his players no longer need him like they once did, he will walk away at the end of the campaign. He could yet go out with another Premier League title with Liverpool currently clear of Manchester City and Arsenal at the summit.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Klopp. The Spaniard, 42, has excelled in his first senior management role at Bayer Leverkusen and would be a popular appointment with the fanbase due to his fine record in Germany and his previous exploits in a Liverpool shirt.