Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool era in number and trophies - Arne Slot has big shoes to fill

Klopp’s Anfield legacy will be hard to follow as he says goodbye to Anfield

Emotions will run high at Anfield this weekend as Jurgen Klopp brings the curtain down on his Liverpool tenure and bids farewell to the Premier League.

The eccentric German was appointed in October 2015 as Brendan Rodgers' successor and while he made a low-key start, securing three draws in his first three games, he would go on to lead the club to one of its most successul eras. He has won more than 60 per cent of his 490 games in charge – with one more to come against Wolves on Sunday – and provided some of the most memorable moments in Liverpool's history.

The 56-year-old won eight major honours over his near nine years in office, most notably ending the club's 30-year wait for the Premier League title in 2019-20 having lifted the Champions League the previous season by defeating Tottenham in the final in Madrid. His trophy haul also includes the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, two League Cups, the FA Cup and the Charity Shield. In addition, he finished Champions League runners-up twice and also lost in the final of Europa League. Only Bob Paisley, with 20 trophies including six league titles, Bill Shankly (11) and Kenny Dalglish (nine) rank ahead of Klopp’s trophy count with the club. He will leave an indelible mark on both Liverpool and the Premier League as a whole.

Jurgen Klopp waves to Liverpool fans following his penultimate match in charge - the 3-3 draw at Aston Villa on Monday. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Klopp's signings have been key to his success. Mohamed Salah was arguably his most important capture, with the Egypt international hitting 211 goals during the Klopp reign, with his long-time strike partners Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino the other men in three figures on 120 and 111 respectively. Scotland captain Andy Robertson also has much to thank Klopp for. He signed the then 23-year-old from Hull City for an initial £8m rising to £10m in 2017 and developed him into one of the world's top left-backs. The signing of former Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk was another masterstroke. Klopp’s promotions from the academy have also produced a number of successes. Trent Alexander-Arnold is the benchmark for that, but of the current squad Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley and Curtis Jones are all success stories.

Just over a month ago Liverpool were competing for an unprecedented quadruple, having won the Carabao Cup in February, but they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and the Europa League by Atalanta before a poor fortnight in April saw their Premier League titles dreams evaporate. With third place and a return to the Champions League secured there is nothing riding on his final game so the last week has been something of a grand farewell, attending various events to say goodbye to people he has worked or been associated with during his time at Anfield.

And his stay has had a lasting effect on him, but not necessarily from a footballing point of view. “A decade in your life is a massive one and I will not forget a day in that time because I met the best people I ever met and I did it for the best club I could have imagined,” he added. “I take memories with me, fantastic memories. I take friendships with me, relationships with me – forever.

“You realise the older you get when time slips through your fingers you look back and think ‘My God, that was quick’. I don’t think it was quick, the nine years. I said before, I would not be happy if I thought I could have done more. I couldn’t. Could I have done better? Me? No. Could someone else have done better? Probably. That’s possible. But me in that situation, no, and that’s why I am fine with it.

Jurgen Klopp lifts the Champions League trophy after guiding Liverpool to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the 2019 final. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

“The rest will be judged by the people and I am pretty sure more of them are fine with what we did and some think it is not enough and both is absolutely all right if they think that. Nothing is perfect nowadays but the maturity of the people in this city is as close as possible because of the way they are, the way they deal with life, the way they welcome you and the way they treat you. And I don’t mean me, I mean all people I know who arrive in this city. What they tell me describes people in Liverpool and that is wonderful to know.

“I am completely at peace. It is wonderful to know I spent a big time of my life here. I got the key of the city (he was awarded the Freedom of Liverpool in 2022) and I know probably for a lot of people that’s rather funny but for me it feels like responsibility. I don’t imagine the club will need my help in the future but if the city needs me I am there. I want to be helpful in whatever way and we will see how that looks.”

Once the goodbyes are over and Klopp leaves Anfield for the final time, attention will immediately towards his successor with Arne Slot set to take over the reins next season after a compensation deal worth up to £9.4m was agreed with Feyenoord. The Dutch side confirmed the 45-year-old's departure on social media, saying: “The Arne Slot era is coming to an end. Let's enjoy the last moments.”

Slot also confirmed the news during his press conference on Friday as he prepares to take charge of Feyenoord for the final time in Sunday's Eredivisie home match with Excelsior. He led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, while this season they have won the Dutch Cup and are going to finish second in the league. “I can confirm that I will be a coach at Liverpool next season,” Slot said. Safe to say the Dutchman has some big shoes to fill on Merseyside.