Sir Alex Ferguson's 3am call to Liverpool manager after win says a lot about him
Liverpool will lift the Premier League title in front of their home crowd on Sunday as a memorable campaign rounds to a close. However, Arne Slot's grand occasion may not be as monumental as when Jurgen Klopp first won the crown.
The Reds will face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in their final match of the season, having secured the top spot with games to spare. Similarly, Klopp's 2020 squad finished 18 points ahead of Manchester City, in the process ending a 30-year wait for the league title.
Klopp, 57, clearly understood the significance of his achievement, as evidenced by his early morning call to Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson to share the news. Ferguson, who was already well aware of Liverpool's triumph, recalled the conversation while presenting Klopp with the LMA Manager of the Year award in that same year.
"The winner, Jurgen Klopp. Jurgen, fantastic," Ferguson said on Sky Sports."I speak about Leeds United and 16 years in the Championship, Liverpool 30 years since winning that league is incredible.
"You really thoroughly deserved it. Your performance level of your team was fantastic. Your personality runs right through the whole club. I think it was a marvellous performance.
"I will forgive you for waking me up in the morning at half-past three to tell me you won the league! Thank you. You thoroughly deserved it, well done."
No manager has clinched the LMA Manager of the Year award more times than Ferguson (five), which is why the accolade now bears his name. Klopp scooped up the prestigious award again in 2022 following another successful season with the Reds, securing both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Klopp's dynamic 'rock and roll' football transformed Liverpool and brought the curtain down on an era of underachievement. And his fervent enthusiasm for the game is so infectious that even a character like Ferguson couldn't help but become enthralled.
On paper, the pair might well be considered nemeses. Ferguson symbolises United's golden era and haunted a generation of Liverpool supporters, while Klopp has been pivotal in restoring the Merseysiders to their former glory.
Despite this potential rivalry, Klopp expressed mutual respect after receiving praise from the legendary Red Devils boss. He gratefully acknowledged: "I am absolutely delighted to get this wonderful trophy."
He also shared his admiration for Ferguson: "And Sir Alex Ferguson - and I know it's not 100 per cent appropriate as a Liverpool manager - but I admire him. He was the first British manager I met and we had breakfast together.
"It was long ago and I'm not sure if he remembers it still, but I remember it forever because it was for me in this moment like meeting the Pope, if you want!".
His regard for his senior wasn't so high that he refrained from waking him in the wee hours to share his triumph. Yet, it speaks volumes about the personalities of both men and the mutual respect they have for each other that they were content to be part of this story.
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