'I spent 10 years at Liverpool and cried during final conversation with Jurgen Klopp'
Lucas Leiva has revealed both he and Jurgen Klopp were in tears during the pair's final meeting before the Brazilian midfielder departed for Lazio.
Lucas spent 10 years at Anfield between 2007 and 2017, playing under five different managers, the last of which was Klopp. The German boss arrived at Liverpool in 2015 following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, and over the next few years rebuilt the team and eventually turned the Reds into Premier League champions.
Lucas admitted that he knew his days were numbered soon after Klopp arrived as he didn't think his style of play suited the tactics Klopp wanted to implement.
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"I cried at my final meeting with Jürgen Klopp in the summer of 2017," Lucas recalled in My Liverpool Story on liverpoolfc.com. "I spoke many times with Jurgen – our relationship is still fantastic – but there were two times I spoke to him about maybe leaving.
"Jurgen came in and I played a lot of games under him, but I always felt he was going to build a new team with new players and a new style of play. I was clever enough to understand that my style of play wouldn't necessarily fit the way he wanted. He was always very honest, I was always very honest with him.
"He arrived in October 2015 and in the January I had a big offer from China. I remember a couple of days before the game against Man United, I said, 'Listen, I've had this offer. Let's be fair, it's a lot of money and I'm not sure if I'm going to play here. What do you think?'
"He said, 'Lucas, I understand, but I cannot let you go because I only arrived four months ago and I need you. You will play a big part.' He always used to say, 'I cannot promise you're going to play as much as you want, but I can promise you that you're going to play a big part.' That's why I always liked Jurgen – because he was always very honest.
"In another moment I had a very good opportunity but Jurgen said, 'I still need you.' I was coming to my last year of my Liverpool contract and he said, 'Next year, if something good comes for you, I will help you out.' That was the case.
"That pre-season when Lazio came in for me, I felt it was the right moment. They were flying to Hong Kong in the afternoon and in the morning came that Lazio offer. He said, 'Stay back, get everything done, don't worry.' It was emotional. I cried and he did a little bit as well because of the respect we had for each other."