'I hate saying it' - David Moyes makes claim over Jurgen Klopp future after Liverpool draw

West Ham United boss David Moyes joked he’ll be “glad to see the back of” Jurgen Klopp as he offered growing praise for the departing Liverpool manager.

Klopp will leave the Reds at the end of the season after almost nine years in charge, with Feyenoord boss Arne Slot set to replace the German.

Liverpool drew 2-2 at West Ham on Saturday to effectively end any lingering hopes of ensuring Klopp will leave as a Premier League winner for the second time.

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And Moyes, who has forged a good relationship with Klopp over the years and was once again spotted deep in conversation with his counterpart before the game, saluted his fellow manager.

“I’ll be glad he’s gone!” laughed the West Ham manager. “He’s too big, his teeth are too bright! I hate saying it as I’ve worked against him in the other clubs which are probably their biggest rivals (Everton and Manchester United), but he has been immense for Liverpool, he really has been. He is the daddy there.

“He has been able to control a big football club which is something that isn’t easy to do at times.

“I’m glad to see the back of him, I’ve got to say! The Premier League brings in lots of managers from different places, some come and go very quickly, and some can last the course, like Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex (Ferguson), Pep (Guardiola), Arsene (Wenger) and obviously Jurgen.

“Jurgen has been really good, I hate saying it, but he has been really good for Liverpool. Pleased to see you move on! To manage a club like Liverpool you need to be very good and he is very good at his job.”

West Ham took a half-time lead through Jarrod Bowen but needed an equaliser from Michail Antonio 13 minutes from time to earn a point after falling behind through an Andy Robertson strike and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s own goal.

The Hammers had been thrashed 5-2 at Crystal Palace in their last outing, and Moyes said: “I’m incredibly pleased with the way the players showed character to come from 2-1 down on top of a stinker of a result last week. They stuck at it against a really good team who made it difficult for us to get large portions of possession.

“We’ve done it quite often to a lot of big sides here this season, Tottenham, Man United, Chelsea, so maybe you shouldn’t be too surprised we have bloodied somebody’s nose.

“I thought Liverpool were the better team but I thought Liverpool were the better team against Everton in midweek but Everton were resilient, stuck at it, got some set-pieces and results sometimes change. We have done the same. We are hard to beat but we don’t have the quality of player Liverpool possess.”