6 months ago
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Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Harvey Elliott says departing manager Jürgen Klopp has laid the foundations for another successful era at Anfield.
Being the manager who replaces Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool isn’t going to be easy. Klopp spent nine years on Merseyside, won every major trophy on offer, and departs the club with most counting him as one of the club’s four greatest managers of all time.
Unlike in the past when the likes Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger or Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson departed, though, the consensus is that Klopp leaves successor Arne Slot with a strong core; a side with promise and upside that’s good enough to win now.
Amongst that developing core is standout 21-year-old attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott, whose stellar numbers in 2023-24 spoke to a player on the cusp of taking the next step and becoming a key player for a club always seeking English and European glory.
“We’re in the best possible position because of him and his coaching staff,” Elliott said of his now former manager. “What he’s taught us, I think his style of play is iconic and I think we’ll be taking a lot of things we’ve learnt and be taking it into the next chapter.
“We’re all very excited for it. It’s a new chapter, a new challenge for everyone. Us as players, we need to enjoy it, we need to be excited for it. We need to show the new gaffer the ways of Liverpool, but Jürgen and his staff have definitely left something here.”
Even if there’s excitement for the future, for a boyhood Liverpool fan like Elliott there’s sadness at losing a manager who arrived at the club when he was just 12 years old—the only Liverpool manager he and other younger fans and players have really known.
The foundations for the future appear solid, particularly after 2023’s rejuvenation of key midfield areas, but that doesn’t diminish the monumental nature of the change following the loss of the man who has defined the club for the best part of a decade.
“Who I am today, it’s because of him,” Elliott added. “He’s given me the platform, he’s given me the courage, he’s taught me so many things to go out there and play football. I am who I am here today because of him. For that, I can never thank him enough.
“The experiences that I’ve gained, especially being a Liverpool fan, it’s a dream come true for myself and my family. It’s very hard to put into words what he’s done. The things I’ve learned from him I’ll be forever grateful and keep them with me forever.
“It doesn’t feel real, to be honest. Us as players, I don’t think we’ve kind of processed what happened or what’s happening. It’s emotional and it’s upsetting. We’ve formed such a great bond together and created so many memories. We’ve made history.”new
