Jurgen Klopp is the best manager Liverpool have had since Bill Shankly, according to Anfield icon Ray Clemence.
The German tactician is approaching the end of his second full season on Merseyside, and he could be about to deliver the grandest of prizes.
The Reds are hoping to complement a top four finish in the Premier League with a place in the Champions League final, with a 5-2 semi-final first leg victory over Roma leaving them on the brink of a shot at a sixth continental crown.
Klopp has been widely heralded for turning fortunes around in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ departure, with Clemence now claiming that he could be the man to follow in the footsteps of a multiple league and European Cup winner to bring the glory days back to Liverpool.
The legendary former goalkeeper told the Daily Mail: “If you ask me to compare them, I thought Shankly was a one-off, but then I'd have to say that Klopp is the nearest thing.
“The relationship Klopp has with the players and fans, it is exactly what Shankly had.
“He pulled the club together so it was one strong unit that would do anything to help each other out and Klopp has revived that.
“You only have to look at the last Champions League games, Manchester City and then Roma, the atmosphere in there was as it used to be when I played. Special nights.
“You can't understate just how hard that is for a manager to achieve, and the bigger the club the more difficult it is.
“At any level it's tough these days for managers because everybody wants success yesterday, and at a club the size of Liverpool there are so many factions you have to try to bring together.
“He appears to have done that and it's a priceless achievement.”
Liverpool will be looking to confirm their place in the Champions League final on Wednesday when they head to the Italian capital for a return date with Roma.