Part of the Liverpool squad that suffered a heartbreaking Champions League final defeat in 2018, as well as the 2016 Europa League loss in Basel, Emre Can will have a third shot at European glory on June 1 with Borussia Dortmund.

The former Reds midfielder played only seven minutes during the defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev, in what was his final appearance for the club before signing for Juventus on a free transfer.

There had been plenty of speculation regarding the future of the German during the 2017/18 season, and the previous year, with hope of Can extending his stay on Merseyside fading with each passing month.

Discussing the topic in May 2017 after a remarkable bicycle kick scored by the 30-year-old against Watford, Klopp remained optimistic. "After his bicycle kick probably everyone wants him to stay. I think it is no secret how much I like Emre. He likes the club and that is a completely normal situation," he remarked.

"We are in talks and there is absolutely no pressure, it is all good. It is two partners with big respect for each other. If we can keep good players that makes sense for development and he is one of these good players. I am quite positive.”

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No resolution between both parties could be found, however, resulting in the Reds bidding farewell to Can. Liverpool's loss was Juventus' gain. Explaining why he chose not to commit his future to Klopp's side, he said: "I had a lot of offers from very good teams.

"I decided to come to Juventus because I think the project here is very big. They have very big aims. I want to be part of the project here. I am really happy to be here. I know how Juventus play, I watched a lot of the games last season. One of my biggest idols was Zidane who played here too.

"My first manager when I started to play football was a huge Juventus fan. When I was six or seven he told me that one day I'd play for Juventus. Now I am here and it's a cool story. The club had good contact with my agent for many years. I just know how huge the club is and the mentality of the club - they want to win titles. That's my mentality too. I came here to win titles."

A positive first season in Italy, in which he claimed the Super Cup and Serie A title, things soon turned sour when Maurizio Sarri replaced Max Allegri as manager in June 2019. Omitted from the club's Champions League squad and limited to only two league starts between August 2019 and January 2020, Can sought a way out of the club in the form of a loan to Dortmund.

Rediscovering himself in Germany, Dortmund triggered the option to make this move into a permanent deal worth €25million (£21m) just one month after his arrival. He has since gone on to represent Klopp's former employers over 150 times and was named the new club captain ahead of the current campaign. Tuesday night's win at Paris Saint-Germain, which booked the club's place in this year's Champions League showpiece fixture, represented his most impressive moment yet in the black and yellow of Dortmund.

Highlighting the value Can has brought to the team and how his journey to becoming a key player has been no coincidence, Dortmund boss Edin Terzic said in 2023: "He has not only played his way into the team, but has also worked very hard on his fitness. The role he is playing at the moment in front of the central defence is very important.

"In attack, he can play from the number six role, but also between the centre-backs. He’s doing that exceptionally well right now. He feels comfortable, and the goal also will also give him more confidence. A confident and fit Emre Can can help any team.”

Can's next goal is to re-establish himself on the international stage after being left out of Germany's squad for the previous three World Cups. Though included in Joachim Low's group for Euro 2020, he was limited to a combined total of 32 minutes at the tournament as Die Mannschaft exited at the Round of 16 after losing to England.

Now hoping to get the nod from Julian Nagelsmann for a European Championship on home soil, Can admitted at the start of the year this was a key objective of his. "Definitely, it’s a very big subject," he said. "I want to perform well here at Dortmund, and obviously my goal is to be there. I’ll do and give everything to make it not possible to not call me up. We’ll see in the end if I manage it or not."