Roy Keane admits he was not surprised when Jurgen Klopp announced he would be leaving Liverpool. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has praised Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year spell as Liverpool manager – but admits Klopp’s departure is no surprise.
Liverpool announced on Friday morning that the 56-year-old will retire at the end of the 2023/24 season. Klopp admitted he found he lacked the energy to begin his ninth full season at Anfield.
During his time at the club, Klopp achieved success in the Premier League and Champions League, while also winning the League Cup, FA Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Following news of the Liverpool manager’s imminent resignation, Keane paid tribute to the style of football Klopp has brought to the Premier League since replacing Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, but acknowledged the demands placed on managers these days and his comments they were a surprised it was not.
“There was a lot of talk about who could intervene. Now the other challenge for Liverpool is timing,” said Keane. “Once the manager makes the decision, we will see how this team reacts.
The players, the times are different, but we know what a great coach Klopp is. “He’s a character. We’ll miss the kind of football he plays.” But I’m not really surprised. Because his demands on these managers are having an effect.
“Keane, who was United captain when Sir Alex Ferguson reversed his decision to leave Old Trafford in 2002, said there were no similarities between Ferguson’s situation and Klopp’s. “Times are different,” added Keane.
“Manchester United’s manager did that at the start of the season and we won three titles in a row. Maybe it was a bit of a decline. Subconsciously, I thought it would have an impact on my wardrobe ever since.
“We had experienced players and we thought about sticking with him, but he decided to come back, so we dealt with him.”Xabi Alonso and Roberto Di Zerbi have both been linked with vacancies at Anfield in the near future.
