"It looked really good..." - Key Klopp staff member at Liverpool reveals he almost joined Man Utd

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has revealed that he almost joined the coaching staff at Manchester United before being appointed at the Reds.

Ljinders has been at Liverpool for over eight years, barring a short spell as manager at Dutch side NEC in 2018, having originally joined the Reds under the management of Brendan Rodgers.

He has helped Jurgen Klopp to deliver a number of trophies to Anfield, including a Champions League title and a Premier League title.

In fact, earlier this year, after the German boss signed a contract extension to 2026 with the Reds, he revealed that Lijnders was a key reason behind why he took that decision.

He explained (quotes via This is Anfield): "He is probably the main reason for it, because he is a real energiser. You know him, this man is on fire, and our connection is beyond football things.

"When he said, 'Oh yes, I am in!', then it was clear that we are open for any kind of talks. That's why we sit here now.

"I have been lucky enough to meet many, many people in football during my time in the game, and I don't think I have ever met anyone with the energy and enthusiasm he has for this game."

But Lijnders, who released a book titled 'Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC' last year, almost ended up at Old Trafford instead of achieving great success at Liverpool.

Lijnders reveals Man Utd talks

The 39-year-old, who The Telegraph recently claimed as playing an 'increasingly important role' in transfers at Anfield, told FourFourTwo that he was approached for a job at United under Sir Alex Ferguson - months before the Scot announced his retirement.

He explained: "[In 2013] I received an approach from Manchester United. Alex Ferguson and his Dutch assistant, Rene Meulensteen, wanted to bring me to the club. It looked really good, but a few months later Ferguson retired and the opportunity fell through.

"One year later, Liverpool showed an interest and I became their under-16s coach. After a while, I began to speak with Brendan Rodgers, who was curious how I was implementing a 3-4-3 system in my team.

"We got on well, and in my second season [2015/16] I was asked to be one of his assistants. I learned a lot from him, although he left by the October.

"I kept my assistant role when Jurgen Klopp came in and we've developed a strong bond."

Reds fans will hope Klopp, Lijnders and the remainder of the backroom staff can help the club achieve success this season, as despite currently sitting in sixth position in the Premier League - 16 points behind leaders Arsenal - they remain in the FA Cup and Champions League.