Goodbye Jurgen! Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold break down in TEARS on the pitch as Liverpool say farewell to Klopp… as both stalwarts contemplate their own futures with just 12 months left on their deals
- Jürgen Klopp had his last game in charge of Liverpool on Sunday afternoon
- Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield’s farewell
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Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold couldn’t hold back the tears after hugging Jurgen Klopp after his final game in charge of Liverpool.
Klopp ended his nine-year reign on a high as the Reds recorded a 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield thanks to first-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah, but that mattered little as all the attention was on Klopp in the final. whistle.
He stepped onto the field at full-time and hugged his captain Van Dijk. In an extremely emotional moment, the Dutchman burst into tears after playing under Klopp for more than six years.
During that time, Liverpool have won seven major trophies, with Klopp and Van Dijk at the heart of their success.
Just one year after Van Dijk joined the club in January 2018, Liverpool won the Champions League, and in 2020 they triumphed in the Premier League for the first time in thirty years.
Virgil van Dijk was in tears as he hugged Jurgen Klopp on the pitch after his final game in charge of Liverpool
He cried on Klopp’s shoulder after an emotional afternoon at Anfield
A Club World Cup, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup followed, marking one of the most successful periods in Liverpool’s recent history.
Van Dijk admitted last month that he was ‘afraid’ of Klopp’s departure, which the 56-year-old manager announced in January.
After embracing all his players, Klopp addressed the Anfield crowd and encouraged them to get behind new boss Arne Slot, who revealed on Friday he will replace Klopp next season.
Klopp then performed his trademark fist bumps in front of the Kop as he received the adulation of the fans.
As his players looked on, Alexander-Arnold was also seen crying, having played all his professional club football under Klopp.
Klopp opted to hand Alexander-Arnold his debut as a teenager in 2017, and the full-back has never looked back, becoming one of the best right-backs in world football.
Trent Alexander-Arnold also couldn’t hold back the tears after full-time on Sunday
He has admitted he owes everything to Klopp for showing faith in him when he came through the academy
Klopp addressed the crowd afterwards and urged them to support new boss Arne Slot
Alexander-Arnold has admitted he owes everything to Klopp following his development in recent years, and admitted it will be ‘strange’ to play for a different manager next season.
Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold both have to make big decisions about their futures in the coming weeks and months, as there is only one year left on their current contracts.
Whether they will choose to continue at Liverpool with Slot in the dugout remains to be seen, but the Reds will be desperate to keep their loyalty to the club in the years to come.
Klopp is making it a point after guiding Liverpool to third place in the Premier League, with his team finishing nine points behind champions Manchester City in his final season at the helm.