Klopp says there's NO bad blood between Henderson & him after face-to-face talks

Jurgen Klopp insists there is no bad blood between himself and Jordan Henderson following the England midfielder's exit from Liverpool this summer.

Henderson brought a surprise end to his 12-year stay at Anfield by joining Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad in a £12 million deal in July, and subsequently stated in an interview with The Athletic that his decision had been swayed by a conversation with Klopp over playing time.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday ahead of the Reds' Premier League trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Klopp was asked about his former captain's comments, but was quick to downplay any suggestion of a breakdown in relations.

He said: 'Hendo said the truth, in all departments. That's how it was.

'There's not a bit of bad blood or whatever. He is the captain of the most successful team this club saw in the Premier League era and rightly so. He's a sensational player. I wish him only the best and, when he comes here, from my point of view he gets a real farewell, everything. There's nothing to misunderstand from that point of view.'

Klopp did, however, confirm that he had held face-to-face meetings with Henderson during the summer, in which he told the 33-year-old he would face a battle to play regularly for Liverpool this season.

'We had our talks and I told Hendo I wanted him to stay,' Klopp said. 'But we had to talk in these conversations about the possibility of not playing regularly. I told him we [would] bring in players and stuff like this.

'I cannot have a talk before a season and tell a player they will have 50 games this season, 100 per cent, because I don't know that. It all depends on performance. And if Hendo had performed, he would have had maybe 50 games, absolutely possible.

'Hendo is a