Former Liverpool defender Jason McAteer believes that Jurgen Klopp could call time on his role with the club before his contract expires in 2024, as reported by Mirror Sport.
The German coach recently signed a new contract that saw him commit himself to the Reds for another four years after this season, which would take his total time on Merseyside to just shy of a decade.
However McAteer, who played 139 times for the Reds over the course of four seasons, believes that Klopp has put so much effort into turning Liverpool into an elite team that it could take its toll, leading to possible burnout.
As reported by Mirror Sport, McAteer said:
He has a team around him, Melwood is locked down, you can’t get into it. It’s the hub.
He can’t move. He can’t go out the hotel, he’s meeting potential partners, he’s going to dinners, they’re putting things on, it’s constant,” he continued.
The partnership side of the club, when they come in and they want something, they want to get their name out there, who do they put on the front?”
It wouldn’t surprise me [if he walked away], it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I just think there’s burnout.
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It is difficult to imagine the pressure that Klopp inevitably has upon his shoulders, and how much that actually weighs on him on a daily basis. The German has done a terrific job since taking over as Liverpool manager, and it must have worn him out in the process.
Whether he will actually call it quits due to burnout is debatable though. Pep Guardiola recently described the Reds as “the best team in the world”, and it is hard to argue with that statement, and as such I can’t imagine that it would be easy to step away from that, particularly given the success the club has had in recent years.
With Liverpool on course to claim their first Premier League title this season, Klopp could follow in the footsteps of someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, who built upon success to ensure his Manchester United remained top for as long as possible. While burnout might impact Klopp, he could equally be spurred on by success.
