The shocking news that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season sent former Reds midfielder Naby Keita to tears. Klopp made the announcement on Friday.
After learning that Jurgen Klopp would be departing the team at the end of the season, former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita said he was left fighting back tears.
With a contract that runs through 2026, Klopp said on Friday that he will be leaving the club in the summer, nearly nine years after taking over as manager in place of Brendan Rodgers. Among other honours, Klopp has won the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions League, and Premier League while he has been at Anfield.
The world of football was shocked by his unexpected revelation, and commentators and supporters praised the Liverpool manager. Gary Lineker acknowledged that Klopp’s departure was “huge news,” Alan Shearer asserted that “no one was expecting it,” and Jamie Carragher called it a “body blow” to the Reds.
Now that he was purchased by Liverpool for £52 million in August 2017 and moved to Anfield the following summer, Keita has paid respect to his old mentor. When asked about Klopp’s shocking resignation, Keita, who was speaking with RMC Sport, said: “I had tears in my eyes when I heard the news.” In Liverpool, I was like his kid, and I think of him as my father.”
Keita had a strong debut season at Liverpool, making 33 appearances across all competitions as the Reds won the Champions League final and came just short of winning the Premier League. But a slew of unlucky injuries severely limited Keita’s time on Merseyside.
Keita played 40 games in the 2021–2022 season, which was the highest in a single season during his Liverpool tenure. He also helped the team win the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Last season, Keita was only able to make eight appearances in the Premier League before he left the team at the end of his contract.
After it was reported that Keita would be leaving Liverpool, Klopp made the following statement on the team’s website: “Naby is an incredible football player. What a player he is.” Perhaps having too many injuries prevented him from fully recovering.
“But if you go through – and I would really recommend that – if you go through our really big games of Liverpool FC you might be surprised how often Naby was in the starting line-up and how often he played incredibly well.”
After his contract expired, Keita moved to Werder Bremen, but he hasn’t had the expected impact—he has only played three times across all competitions.
Regarding Klopp, he made his exit known in a passionate statement prior to Sunday’s match between Liverpool and Norwich. “Obviously, I can explain it—or at least try to explain it—but I can understand that it’s a shock for many people right now when you hear it for the first time,” he remarked.
“I adore everything about this club—the players, the staff, the city, and our supporters—in addition to everything else. I adore everything. However, the fact that I am still going with this choice indicates to you how certain I am that it is the right one.
The fact is, I’m, how shall I put it, exhausted. Naturally, I have no issues at all right now. I have known for a while that I will eventually need to make an announcement, but for now, everything is perfect. I am aware that I am unable to complete the task repeatedly.”
