Jurgen Klopp has described Sir Alex Ferguson's gesture ahead of his final game as Liverpool manager as "outstanding" after the former Manchester United boss got in touch.
Back in January, an emotional Klopp surprised the football world when he announced his decision to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The 56-year-old, who attributed his decision to “running out of energy”, has lifted the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Club World Cup during his time at the Reds.
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And on Sunday, after nine memorable years in the North West, he will step out at Anfield for the last time when they come up against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's clash, Klopp described the past few days as "the most intense" of his life.
"We don't have to pretend it's a normal week because it isn't," he said. "I'm a very pragmatic person. This is the last game of the season and after that, it's a holiday.
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"Yesterday [Thursday], the players said goodbye. We had a barbecue here. It's a lot. I have emotional moments of course. I don't know how many shirts I signed! It's all part of the thing.
"Saying goodbye is never nice but saying goodbye without feeling sad or hurt, that would have meant the time was not good. The time was great. It will be tough."
As well as saying farewell to his players at the barbecue, Klopp spent time with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who requested a chance to meet the German and personally bid him goodbye.
In fact, Ferguson invited Klopp to dinner and the pair had an "outstanding" evening, according to the latter.
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Ferguson and Klopp have history, Back in 2022, Sir Alex joked it was "absolute agony" handing over the LMA Manager of the Year award to Klopp after Liverpool lifted the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Speaking on stage at the event, Klopp was honoured to receive the prestigious LMA award. “This being voted for by my colleagues is obviously the most important prize you can get," the German said.
"I don’t believe in individual prizes in football generally, it is a team sport and I would be nothing without these boys there. It is all about what we can do together and what we did together.”
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Ferguson, of course, spent 26 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford between 1986 and 2013.
"I should have told him to go to Scunthorpe United," joked the Scot moments later.
Klopp responded by saying he "couldn’t understand anything he [Ferguson] said" at first but he's improved through working with Andy Robertson and Kenny Daglish.
Topics: Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Premier League
Jack Kenmare