MX23RW : Saturday, May 18 19:28:55| >> :120:7011:7011:

Jurgen Klopp warns Liverpool will not stop at first Premier League title

Jurgen Klopp warns Liverpool will not stop at first Premier League title
© Reuters
Liverpool added the Premier League title to the Champions League and Club World Cup in the last 12 months.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp sounded an ominous warning to their rivals that his newly-crowned, runaway Premier League champions "will not stop" in their quest for more trophies.

The German has ended a 30-year wait for a top-flight title, adding it to the Champions League and Club World Cup in the last 12 months, but he does not believe it will finish there.

And the Reds boss said everyone at the club still had "big dreams" to fulfil after wrapping up the title with seven matches remaining, the quickest it has been achieved.

Asked what is next Klopp, whose side finished second to Manchester City with a record 97-point tally last season, emulated the 'Never Gonna Stop' chant adopted by fans on their way to last summer's Champions League triumph.

"I don't know, what is next? The last 13 months were pretty special for us, that's absolutely true," he said.

"I'd like to involve the year before that because it was an incredible football time in my life, winning so many points was absolutely exceptional and I didn't experience it before – good parts in my career but not that good.

"The consistency the boys have shown is so exceptional I can't describe. I – and we – will not stop, that's it. We will not stop, we will stay focused and we see the opportunity.

"But 'Will not stop' does not mean we will win everything. I can't promise we will win something but we will try everything to improve.

"We have a common idea and common dream. We have big dreams and we've always had them – that doesn't mean we can fulfil them but we have to give them a proper try and that is what we have done since we have been here.

"Not more, and it will never be less, and the more people dream the more important and stronger it gets.

"Of course without the players buying into this philosophy I have no chance but we will not stop."

After 30 years of waiting Liverpool will have to be a little more patient as captain Jordan Henderson will not, PA understands, get his hands on the actual trophy until the club's final home match against Chelsea on July 18.

The Premier League are still working out appropriate plans to crown them champions while still adhering to the relevant health and safety perimeters currently in place.

Klopp insists he is not worthy of a statue to sit alongside the greats of Bill Shankly (pictured) and Bob Paisley at Anfield
Klopp insists he is not worthy of a statue to sit alongside the greats of Bill Shankly (pictured) and Bob Paisley at Anfield (Martin Rickett/PA)

Liverpool City Council are also looking into the prospect of staging a parade to mark the achievement, although that is likely to be dependent on the relaxing of coronavirus restrictions.

By bringing a 19th league title back to Anfield Klopp has, in the eyes of the majority of fans and many pundits and former players, elevated himself to a status reserved only for Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish.

Steven Gerrard, who vies with Dalglish for the honour of the club's greatest player, called for Klopp to have a statue at the ground in his honour like Shankly and Paisley.

However, the German dismissed that prospect.

"They all got that when, I think, they were not here any more. I want to live for 30 or 40 years so I am not interested in statues, for sure not in my lifetime – I don't want to pass anything like that," he added.

"I am the manager of this team and we won the league so people see this as positive I can imagine but you don't have to compare me with these iconic figures.

"I've been here for four and a half years, I came from Germany and tried to do my job, loved the city, loved my job but there is no comparison possible or needed."

Klopp admitted he began to finally believe the title was theirs in mid-March, just before the season was suspended.

"I think I had a little idea of it the last weekend before the lockdown, we won against Bournemouth and and City lost the next day and it (the gap) was 25 points with City having a game in hand," he said.

"There was a moment when I thought it looked pretty good. Then the world changed and we had three and a half months in a lockdown and that was obviously very difficult and I didn't think too much about it.

"When City were playing like the stars from the sky, and we played against Everton and you thought 'Hmmm, there's still a chance' – and there was a chance (they might be caught).

"As long as it is not decided you cannot celebrate and we didn't but played the Palace game (a 4-0 victory on Wednesday) and made it clear we are still here as well and the rest is already history."

ID:404034: cacheID:404034:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:17189:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Ian Rush pictured in September 2018
Read Next:
Ian Rush: 'Liverpool will not let up after Jurgen Klopp after title win'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City37277393336088
2Arsenal37275589286186
3Liverpool372310484414379
4Aston Villa37208976562068
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs371961271611063
6Chelsea371791175621360
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle371761481602157
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd37176145558-357
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham371410135971-1252
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton371212135560-548
11Bournemouth37139155365-1248
12Crystal Palace371210155258-646
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves37137175063-1346
14Fulham37128175159-844
15Everton37139153949-1040
16Brentford37109185461-739
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3789204766-1929
18Luton TownLuton3768235081-3126
RBurnley3759234076-3624
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd37372735101-6616


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!