Why Jürgen Klopp changed his mind on Liverpool three years after rejecting offer - 'No chance'

Jürgen Klopp has revealed he turned down Liverpool three years before eventually taking the job at Anfield.

The German takes charge of Liverpool for the final time tomorrow as the Reds face Wolves in their last game of the season. It will no doubt be an emotional occasion at Anfield, with Klopp admitting to having already been brought to tears this week.

Liverpool fans will no doubt give the 56-year-old a rapturous reception for his final outing on Merseyside. Klopp has transformed the club since succeeding Brendan Rodgers as manager back in 2015.

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Had Liverpool had its way though, he could have arrived at Anfield much sooner. Ahead of his farewell game, Klopp has lifted the lid on the offer he received from the Reds three years before his eventual appointment.

Back then, Klopp was still in charge of Borussia Dortmund, and had just led them the club to back-to-back Bundesliga titles. Liverpool, meanwhile, was searching for a new manager after Kenny Dalglish had been sacked following an eighth-placed finish.

The Reds made the call to the German. Klopp though would take more convincing.

"Liverpool? Nah, no chance,” Klopp told The Telegraph. “Three years before I came here, Ian Ayre [former chief executive] called me up when I was at Dortmund and asked if I was interested.

"At that moment I thought, ‘eh?’ Dortmund were flying and maybe playing for the Champions again.

"Liverpool was not in a great place. It was not a place you go and say ‘yeah Liverpool is calling, yeah come on let’s go’."

Of course, that would all change further down the line. Twelve years on from that call from Ayre, Klopp is now preparing to leave Anfield as a bona fide Liverpool legend, with calls for a statue to be built ringing in his ears.

"It changed three years later. For me it was number one choice, for whatever reason. It’s not really explainable. I just thought that is the one I want to have," Klopp said.

Liverpool.com says: To be fair, you definitely can’t blame Klopp for not wanting to leave Dortmund at that time, especially for a Liverpool side that was struggling to break away from mid-table. Dortmund at that time was one of the best sides in Europe, and would reach the Champions League final the following year, only to be beaten by Bayern Munich.

Thankfully, the time was just right in 2015, and Liverpool has never looked back since. Few could have imagined just how big an impact Klopp would have on the club back then.