Klopp drops hint over Gerrard return following retirement
Jurgen Klopp has refused to rule out the possibility of former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard returning to the club in a coaching capacity following the midfielder's retirement.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has refused to rule out the possibility of former Liverpool captain and fan favourite Steven Gerrard returning to the club in a coaching capacity following the midfielder's retirement on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Gerrard is Liverpool's longest-serving captain and won the Champions League and two FA Cup titles, the League Cup on three occasions and the UEFA Cup once during his 18-year association with the Merseyside club.
"The door is always open"
"Stop being so excited about his (Gerrard's) next step. In life you need space to learn something new," Klopp told reporters on Thursday ahead of Saturday's home game against second from bottom Sunderland.
"The door is always open. If he wants, I'm sure he will, and if he wants to make career (in coaching) then we want to help him.
"This is not the room to speak about this. When something is to announce, we will announce. One day in the future there will be something to announce, I'm pretty sure."
Gerrard recently said that he rejected the opportunity to replace manager Karl Robinson at third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons.
"If I can help him I will"
Klopp was not too keen to talk too much about a player he never managed but suggested a return was likely in the future.
"Stop using me to write something about Steven Gerrard, if you want to write something, write it. I like him, and if I can help him I will," the German added.
Liverpool are looking for a first league crown since 1990 and are well placed to launch a serious bid for the title as they sit second in the standings on 27 points from 12 games, a point behind Chelsea, who replaced them at the top last weekend.
With a hectic festive schedule on the horizon for Liverpool, Klopp said hoped his players are prepared to brace the fixture pile-up.
"We had a few players who couldn't train properly this week, so you always have some problems," he said.
"We had no time to waste in the first few weeks of the season, now it's becoming more and more intense. But that's the situation and I don't think too much about it."