Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he had rejected arch rivals Manchester United back in 2013, with none other than Sir Alex Ferguson himself approaching the German to take over the Old Trafford outfit.
If things would have gone according to Ferguson’s plans, Klopp would have ended up in the opposite dug out for Sunday’s titanic North-West derby.
With Manchester United making the short trip to Anfield on Sunday, Klopp was on hand to reveal how he was being chased by the arch rivals of his current club back in 2013.
Klopp reveals United approach
Klopp took over at Anfield following the sacking of Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers, having enjoyed a very successful tenure with Dortmund.
With Ferguson retiring in 2013, the hunt was on for a new manager to take over Manchester United, who in the end turned out to be David Moyes.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reveals he rejected Manchester United job in 2013: https://t.co/VCVurq7d78 #LFC #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Sw8lOLvaNH
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 16, 2016
However, Ferguson went on to reveal in his autobiography that Moyes was far from the first choice. Klopp has come out now and confirmed that he was one of the managers who was approached for the vacant role at Old Trafford, only for him to reject it out of loyalty to Borussia Dortmund.
“We spoke,” Klopp was quoted saying by Sky Sports. “We spoke not a lot but, for me, it was a lot.
“It was a big honour, the whole talk, to be honest. But I could not leave Dortmund.
“You are in April and you are in the middle of the planning for next season. You have this player and this player who are coming but then you are not there anymore? That doesn’t work. Not in my life.
“I didn’t hear about a real offer [from United] but, if there was, I could not have done it. I first had to finish the job with Dortmund and then think about other things.”
Ferguson had heaped praise on the German, earlier. Stating that he was worried about the prospect of how good Liverpool FC could become under him, while also hailing his impact in the past. One can imagine how things would have turned out at Old Trafford if Klopp had taken over instead of Moyes.
