'Like nothing we'd ever heard before' - Inside Jurgen Klopp's early years as Liverpool manager

It was shortly before 3pm UK time when Jurgen Klopp left Germany for his new life on Merseyside back in 2015.

On board flight LNX30HY from Dortmund to the city's John Lennon Airport, on Thursday, October 8, the new Liverpool manager was just a few hours removed from being confirmed to the world as Brendan Rodgers's successor.

Having initially been introduced to owners Fenway Sports Group for a lengthy meeting inside the offices of New York law firm Shearman and Sterling, Klopp was now bound for the North West of England to put the finishing touches on a three-year deal at the city centre's Hope Street Hotel.

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The plush surroundings of the Georgian Quarter would be Klopp's temporary home for a short period upon his arrival and before he was spotted at the Hardman Street bar the Old Blind School, with his wife Ulla a few days later, a meal was arranged for the new boss and his staff alongside club chairman Tom Werner and then CEO Ian Ayre.

Those at the meal that evening spoke of a manager who was already in his comfort zone, conversing with his new staff as though he had known them for years and gently poking fun at them, whenever the opportunity arose.

"There were a lot of French-sounding dishes on the menu, so I had to tell him I didn't know what they all meant!" long-serving goalkeeping coach John Achterberg recalls. "He was surprised by that. He said: 'You've been here over 10 years and you don't know the names of these!?'"

Klopp was also said to have been taken aback by the range of responsibilities on managers in English football, who have more day-to-day duties than their European counterparts and the technical directors they often work with. It was here where it was decided the manager would need a personal assistant and a diary.

It was a gentle introduction into the sort of character that would begin an ascent to legendary status at Anfield the following day at a packed-out press conference at the stadium. It was there where the German put on a clinic in front of the world's media, vowing to turn "doubters into believers" and christening himself the "Normal One" among many other memorable sound bites.

Reporters gathered on the day have spoken of an aura and a charisma possessed by the new man and, frankly, how surprised they were that a languishing Liverpool had been able to recruit a coach of such quality to begin with.

Klopp initially thought his backline was too slow to play the higher line that he generally preferred but he was hugely impressed with the depth and quality of strikers within his new ranks, while the opportunity to work with Philippe Coutinho was also a hugely appealing factor.

A goalless draw away at Tottenham Hotspur was a creditable first result and within weeks it was becoming apparent that Klopp was laying down the hard-running, gegenpressing foundations for what would underpin much of the success that followed. A 3-1 win at Chelsea was followed by a 4-1 triumph at Manchester City within a month before a 2-2 home draw with West Bromwich Albion was mocked by opposition fans and pundits for the Reds appearing to 'celebrate' the result with their supporters.

Klopp's Liverpool were roundly flogged for their thanking of the fans who had stayed until the end of the game to witness the last-gasp Divock Origi equaliser but, with hindsight, it was a key block in place to restore the synergy between the supporters and the team; a bond that so often proved invaluable in the years since.

Roberto Firmino was beginning to show why the club had invested so much in him as the Brazilian, who had looked uneasy in Rodgers's tactical framework, started to flourish as Klopp's 'false 9' - a position that would come to define him as one of the most loved players in recent memory by supporters.

A remarkable game against Norwich City in January was more evidence of a team who were starting to believe in themselves. Adam Lallana's late winner, to make it 5-4, was celebrated wildly as the midfielder lost his shirt, Klopp lost his glasses and the away end lost their senses at Carrow Road.

The first cup final under Klopp arrived as early as February with Manchester City the winners of the 2016 League Cup showpiece on penalties at Wembley but it was in Europe where Klopp was really beginning to show what was possible under his guidance.

A stirring 4-3 comeback against his former club, Borussia Dortmund, is only denied a higher ranking in the club's great European nights due it being in the less-heralded Europa League, but that set up a semi-final with Villarreal where, once more, a second-leg fightback was aided by the home fans who roared Klopp's side to the final. Famous nights at Anfield are a rite of passage for any managerial great and the Dortmund one, in particular, was a sign of what would be to come.

Defeat in the final to Sevilla denied Klopp's side a European trophy barely six months into his tenure and crucially also blocked Liverpool's entry to the Champions League for the following season but there would be no wallowing after that 3-1 loss. Those in Switzerland have spoken of how positive Klopp's end-of-season speech was that night. It helped foster belief that this was only the beginning. "It was like nothing we'd ever heard before," the ECHO has since been told.

Sadio Mane, Joel Matip and Gini Wijnaldum were signed in the summer alongside goalkeeper Loris Karius and veteran defender Ragnar Klavan as the manager went about shaping the team in his image after coming so close to a European trophy with a patched-up squad that was not of his making.

A sensational 4-3 win at Arsenal on the opening weekend set the tone for what was to come and Liverpool barged their way back to a seat at Europe's top table in the 2016/17 season largely due to their results against other members of the established 'top six'. Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City were all beaten alongside a double over Arsenal as the Reds took 20 from a possible 30 points in those vital showdowns.

Firmino's dovetailing with Coutinho was now oozing class and the jet-heeled Mane settled instantly alongside them up front, topping the scoring charts in the league with 13 in total alongside Coutinho, despite missing a month through Africa Cup of Nations duty for Senegal and seeing his season ended at the beginning of April through injury in a 3-1 Merseyside derby triumph over Everton.

After beating City in a pulsating New Year's Eve game at Anfield, thanks to Wijnaldum's header, Liverpool lurched their way through the early weeks of 2017, picking up just one win - against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup - in a 10-game sequence that jeopardised their top-four claims.

An energy-boosting victory over Tottenham in early February was the catalyst for the change of fortunes that were needed as the team then surged through the final third of the campaign, suffering just two defeats in their final 14 games, away at Leicester and at home to Crystal Palace. Remarkably, the latter would be their only home Premier League defeat in front of a crowd for six-and-a-half years.

After a goalless draw with Southampton, Liverpool ended strongly, beating West Ham United 4-0 in London before a 3-0 triumph over Middlesbrough on the final day of the season secured their Champions League return.

Like the early months of Klopp's reign, 2016/17 was a season that promised a bright future under their manager. There was more consistency and surety about the team's performances, particularly in big games, but there would be much more to celebrate down the line.

The objective was to simply climb back into the Champions League places after a three-year absence and in that respect, it was job done. And even if it is generally viewed now as the 'forgotten season' under Klopp, it at least laid the foundations to make what followed possible.

The push to restore the club as a European heavyweight was about to go into overdrive and Liverpool fans no longer needed to track the aircrafts Klopp was on, they would be boarding their own.

Part 2 of the ECHO's look back at Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool history looks at the march to the Champions League final during the 2017/18 campaign