Jurgen Klopp 'made us all believe again' - Liverpool fans from Northern Ireland pay tribute to manager

​Wolves’ visit to Anfield on the Premier League season’s final day offers an opportunity for the Liverpool fanbase to pay tribute to the achievements of Klopp across almost nine years since he replaced Northern Ireland-born Brendan Rodgers as boss.

It promises to be a day of high emotion both within the stands and on the sidelines as Klopp exits Liverpool with the second-highest win percentage and fourth-place ranking in terms of Liverpool silverware.

But his impact on the club will forever be celebrated by fans beyond the black-and-white statistics.

As Liverpool fans around the world prepare for the final goodbye to one of the greats, we spoke to three Reds from Northern Ireland about Klopp.

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IAN GAULT

"Certainly, for me, Jurgen is held in the same status as those legendary figures from our past...he's genuinely inspirational,” said 53-year-old Omagh-raised Gault, who now lives in England. “That energy for the people and club and during games his heart and soul is there for all to see.

"I was at Bournemouth when Conor Bradley made his full Premier League debut in January (a 4-0 win as Bradley became the first Northern Ireland-born player to provide a first-team assist since Sammy Smyth in 1954), so that was a proud moment.

“Conor would have been running down Liverpool's right side towards us behind the goal...you could see his pedigree and it's another example of how Jurgen gives young players that trust and backing. Jurgen had seen something in Conor behind the scenes, handed him the chance and then was so supportive of his development.

"He also has a great record overall of bringing players through and building on the work down below in the Academy...with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rise the perfect example.

"My eldest son Darcy is a Bournemouth fan but Oscar supports Liverpool and when we go to the games in Bournemouth it’s always amazing to hear the travelling support, it’s off the scales and so much of it is singing about Klopp."I look at it from the viewpoint, hopefully, he has laid the foundations for the club to go to the next level under the new manager. And, fingers crossed, his legacy will not just be about those amazing times he has given us as manager over the past nine years but also a starting point for future success."

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CALUM REID

"I feel so lucky to have grown up as a Liverpool fan with Jurgen Klopp my manager,” said Calum Reid, 21, from Portadown. "He has given me some of the best moments of my life.

"I’ve been watching some of the tribute videos put together leading up to Sunday and seen so many moments I'd actually forgotten.

"From the start he was creating these special building blocks that worked as catalysts towards turning the club into something great.

"I genuinely just view him as the perfect manager for our club and it's so strange to think after Sunday he will be gone.

"He's given me everything I could ever have hoped for as a fan...and much, much more.

"He created a mentality which left fans thinking we can turn around any situation. The big one was against such a talented Barcelona side from 3-0 down at Anfield in 2019 to win 4-3 (Champions League semi-final, second leg).

"Then even this season, winning the League Cup with kids against a Chelsea side put together for so much money. It's disappointing how the season has finished but to be able to win the League Cup in that way with such an inexperienced squad was amazing, in fact I think we've actually over-achieved this campaign with a trophy and Champions League qualification.

"Winning the league (2019-20, the first English title in over 30 years) and during those few seasons at peak Klopp I put Jurgen sides up against anything produced even by a more successful Manchester City.

"He took us from a mediocre Liverpool side to the top of the world and made us all believe again what it means to follow this club.

"I can't even imagine what it's going to be like this Sunday at Anfield...I'll be at home watching it with my Dad and we've gone on that whole journey together.

"I'll 100 per cent be behind the next manager but can't imagine how anyone could ever repeat that special link.

"We've had so many amazing people in our club history but I wonder will we see a Jurgen Klopp statue at the ground beside the one of Bill Shankly?"

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GARETH LIGGETT

"I was at White Hart Lane for his first game in 2015 as Liverpool boss and one thing that struck me was the sight of the manager walking out, standing in the centre circle with hands behind his back watching the opposition and our own warm-up...I'd never seen that before,” said 45-year-old Gareth Liggett, who lives in Armagh. "Another early memory is from his first press conference when he talked about how it’s ‘not so important what people think when you come in...it’s much more important what people think when you leave’.

"I'm just in awe of him and have been hooked on every word. For me, he's a modern-day Bill Shankly...he's embraced everything about the club and the fanbase and what makes Liverpool so special.

"It's hard to put into words his impact, he's more than just a manager...he has that special quality, that ability to connect with people from every level.

"It's going to be very hard for someone to follow such a massive presence and I don't really care what fans of other clubs say in terms of only winning a certain amount of silverware...it's about what he has done for Liverpool FC.

"He has won trophies, including the biggest like the Champions League and Premier League, but it goes beyond silverware. I have so many memories and moments that make me smile, not always from the biggest or high-profile games.

"He was always so human and honest in how he carried himself, someone you could respect. He's everything you want a manager to be and, especially, everything you want as a manager of this special club.

"There's nobody else who could have done what he's done.

"When he announced his decision to step down he talked about not feeling able to put 100 per cent into another season and he's clearly given so much to the job.

"When we won the league finally he was so emotional and how often do you see a manager in tears at bringing success to a club, knowing what it meant to everyone.

"We just blew teams away under Jurgen...we were like a machine, with players so special individually but also collectively outstanding.

"You always felt there was still a chance no matter the situation...all because of Jurgen.

"Normally when a new manager comes in it's off the back of someone losing his job due to bad results and the club in a downward spiral.

"This is totally different...it was broken when he came in and now he’s leaving with the club fixed.

"In a recent interview I saw him say how for the rest of his life he knows he'll never walk alone...he's one of us."