Dejan Lovren has told a fantastic story about Jurgen Klopp, summing up the Liverpool manager’s man management skills.
The German has been an incredible success at Anfield to date, completely transforming the Reds’ fortunes and turning them into English, European and world champions.
Klopp is not only a world-class tactician, but his ability to get the most out of his players is arguably unrivalled.
Speaking to current club Zenit St Petersburg’s official website [via CaughtOffside], Lovren detailed a moment back in 2017 that saw his former boss cut a youngster down to size:
I will tell you a short story. In 2017, on the first day of preseason training with Liverpool, one 18-year-old player, I will not name him, came to training in a Mercedes with a gold Rolex on his wrist.
Here’s how Lovren reports the conversation went:
Klopp: “What car did you come here in?”
Youngster:“In a Mercedes”
Klopp: “What’s that on your wrist?”
Youngster: “A Rolex.”
Klopp: “How many matches have you played for the first team?”
Youngster: “None.”
When asked by Zenit how the aforementioned player reacted, Lovren responded with:
Yeah, he came in with two gold watches! (Laughs.) The next day he arrived without a watch and a normal car.
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It is a fascinating insight into Klopp’s workings as a manager, summing up his brilliance to perfection.
The 53-year-old is someone who doesn’t like egos in his squad and fails to allow individuals to get carried away with themselves.
Perhaps we will never know who the young player in question was, but the respect he had for Klopp meant he heeded his words immediately.
He has an aura about him that makes players listen and respect him, which is why Liverpool have achieved such great things with him in charge.
