New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has paid tribute to his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, who has already been giving the Dutchman some tips ahead of the new season
Arne Slot has paid tribute to Jurgen Klopp after taking the time to speak with the former Liverpool boss since his appointment.
The Reds announced last month that Slot would be replacing Klopp at the helm, with the latter standing down after nine years as manager. Slot arrives at Anfield off the back of a successful three-year spell at Feyenoord during which he won both the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup.
Slot, 45, was the standout candidate to replace Klopp after building up an impressive body of work in his native Netherlands. He inherits a side primed to challenge for major honours after defying expectations in the Premier League last season.
Although Klopp has left the club in fine fettle, replacing the popular German will be no mean feat. He has, however, already passed on some pearls of wisdom to his successor.
Speaking in his first official interview as Reds boss on Liverpoolfc.com, Slot was asked how important it was to speak with Klopp before starting his new role and stressed that it’s something he’s done in previous jobs.
Slot said: “I did the same in my former clubs when I started over there but I think if someone worked at a club for nine years [and had] been so successful, you want to know all about it from him and you also want to know things of the players – although I think it is also important to get my own opinion about that.
So, you can only use all this information he has because he did so well, not only in terms of results but I think also everybody saw in his farewell but also in the years before that how popular he was.
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“He gave me more than a few good tips but I think what stood out for me was that he was so happy for me and that – and I think he said this in the media as well – he would be my biggest fan from now on because he supports Liverpool in the best possible way, and you don’t see this very often. So, it says a lot about his character, the way he handled this situation as well.”
Slot went on to reveal some of the background behind his move to Anfield, including his decision to snub interest from Premier League clubs 12 months ago. It was widely reported at the time that Tottenham were keen on the Dutchman.
He added: “I think those moments are always very private because nobody needs to know about it. So the first time you hear that Liverpool is interested in you, you have to keep it between me and my wife.
“I always knew that it had to be a fantastic club where I would leave Feyenoord for, and this was Liverpool and the league as well. I think it was a year ago that I was in the interest of a few Premier League clubs as well but I decided to extend at Feyenoord with the idea of staying there two more seasons.
“But after a year, Liverpool came along and – like I just told you about the rivalry between City and Liverpool and the many games we as football fans saw – it wasn’t a difficult choice to make. Although, like I said, I was really happy at Feyenoord, the way I work there with the fans, with the staff, with the players. But this was the possibility I had to take.”
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