Jurgen Klopp was persuaded to turn down Manchester United’s overtures by his wife, two years before he accepted the challenge of rebuilding Liverpool and guiding them to being Premier League champions.
With Sir Alex Ferguson retiring at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, Ed Woodward identified Pep Gaurdiola and Klopp as his two key targets to take over from the Scot.
However, Guardiola already had his heart set on moving to Bayern, so Woodward turned his attentions to Klopp whose reputation was on the rise after winning two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund and taking them to the Champions League final.
Klopp was given a tour of the club by Woodward who was interested in the charismatic German and his wife Ulla who convinced her husband to remain ar Dortmund, according to former Liverpool player Phil Thompson.
‘I interviewed Klopp for Sky, and I asked if he and Liverpool were created for each other. He looked at me and asked ‘Why?’,’ the Liverpool legend said.
‘Then Klopp told me he could have taken over Manchester United, but his wife said it wasn’t right.
‘When Liverpool arrived, his wife said it was right. There is something strange there. It is as if he’s created for Liverpool.’
Klopp eventually left Dortmund at the end of the 2014/15 season six months before he joined Liverpool after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds are now back on their perch after adding the Premier League trophy to last season’s Champions League victory.
Whether Klopp can help Liverpool to back-to-back title wins remains to be seen, but he has revealed his intention to remain at the club for many years to come.
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When told supporters are keen for him to sign a lifetime contract with the club, Klopp told Sky Sports: ‘Well a present I can make to our supporters is that I don’t sign a lifetime contract because there will be a time when they don’t want to see me anymore.
‘But we still have good memories together, so that’s already a promise I won’t sign a lifetime contract. But I will be here for a while.’
