Jurgen Klopp’s Champions League success means that he now “owns Liverpool Football Club lock, stock and barrel”, says Stan Collymore, while a Premier League title would grant him “the keys to the whole place for the best part of the next decade”.
The German tactician has returned the Reds to the top of the European game.
Liverpool secured a 2-0 win over domestic rivals Tottenham in Madrid on Saturday to claim a sixth continental crown in their illustrious history.
Klopp is considered to have played an integral role in the club’s rapid revival, while remaining vital to their plans heading forward.
Former Reds striker Collymore agrees with that assessment, with the 51-year-old coach now virtually untouchable on Merseyside.
“Klopp is a very, very hard man and after leading them to Champions League glory against Tottenham on Saturday he owns Liverpool Football Club lock, stock and barrel,” Collymore told the Mirror.
“No mean feat given he lost a League Cup, Europa League and Champions League final before finally landing the last one at the second time of asking.
“I know Liverpool only finished a point behind Manchester City this season but a year ago they came up short big time in the race for the Premier League title.
“And a manager without Klopp’s personality would have been under way more pressure.
“But the way he has managed to buy himself a lot more time over the years is a lesson to others around him.
“One which says that, if you can cultivate a persona, you are going to get much more time to do your job.
“When that persona is about fun, enjoyment, joy and laughter, everyone wants to be involved.
“If Klopp can now go on to win the Premier League with Liverpool next season or the one after then we might as well give him the keys to the whole place for the best part of the next decade.
“Because while City boss Pep Guardiola has created a super-professional, super-proficient outfit that plays football a certain way and has all the club staff connected, Klopp has taken those connections between everybody working at Anfield in whatever capacity to a whole new level.”
Questions have been asked of Klopp’s future after breaking his trophy duck in English football, but reports suggest he is line for a lucrative new contract and the man himself has shot down talk of a possible move to Bayern Munich being made.