‘I had tears in my eyes’ – Naby Keïta reacts to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool departure

Naby Keïta (28) said that he had “tears in his eyes” when he learned that Jürgen Klopp would leave Liverpool at the end of the season. 

Klopp signed the Guinean international from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2018 for a reported €60m. Keïta played under the German manager on 129 occasions, scoring 11 goals and registering seven assists, however, he failed to ever fully establish himself as a regular starter in the Liverpool midfield during his time at Anfield, before leaving the club on a free transfer in the summer to join Werder Bremen. 

Klopp is now following Keïta in leaving Merseyside. The German manager cited fatigue and burnout as his motivation for leaving the Premier League club, nine years after joining. During his time at Liverpool, Klopp won the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. 

Keïta revealed that he was upset by Klopp’s announcement on Friday, during which he revealed his departure at the end of the current campaign. “I am not on social media, but when I heard, I had tears in my eyes. He took me to Liverpool like his son and I consider him my dad. I wish all the best for him for the rest of his life. I will try to write to him,” the Guinean international told RMC Sport. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle