I dreamt of playing for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp wanted me before I became a Man City legend

When Liverpool won 4-2 at home to Newcastle United on New Year’s Day, they opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Aston Villa were second at the time, with Manchester City and Arsenal both five points behind the Reds to complete the top four. However, Pep Guardiola’s side did boast a game-in-hand on Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Two days before that victory, MCity had won 2-0 at home to Sheffield United - having already recorded a 3-1 win away at Everton on December 27 when making their Premier League return after being crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions.

But it was the sight of Kevin De Bruyne warming up against the Blades that caught Klopp’s attention as the Belgian, who was an unused substitute that day, closed in on a return after five months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

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“Man City, when Kevin De Bruyne is warming up, the whole country is starting to shake,” Klopp told Sky Sports after his own team’s win. “I understand all that but it has nothing to do with us.

“We just want to be as good as possible and I don’t know how good that will be to be honest. We have to improve, we have to develop. We work on that and let’s see what the outcome will be.”

Liverpool might have built a three-point lead at the top of the table on New Year’s Day, but Klopp was not naive enough to get carried away. He is a man who has lost out on the title by a solitary point to City on the last day of the season on two separate occasions, after all.

While top spot had been in the Reds’ possession since a 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day, they will go into