Never a dull moment: Jurgen Klopp’s impact at Liverpool has been immense

As the PA news agency’s Liverpool correspondent for more than a decade I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Jurgen Klopp era close up. Three Champions League finals (and one victory) in five years, a first league title in 30, too many top one-liners to count, a few admonishments from the man himself for a line of questioning he thought obvious or facile but also frequent comedic exchanges have meant there has never been a dull moment. He will be missed when he’s gone.

Seismic. There is no other word for Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool.

Everyone knew this day would come – his contract was for another two years but he had already stayed longer than any of his previous jobs and showed no huge appetite to extend again – but it lands so hard in this, of all seasons, with emerging talk of another another potential quadruple bid.

For fans – and the players – it is heart-wrenching. Even rival clubs may be sad to see the charismatic German leave.

From the moment he walked through the doors of the press conference room in Anfield’s Sir Kenny Dalglish stand in October 2015 and charmed the world by announcing himself as “the normal one” before pledging to win a title in the first four years of his reign (he was one year out as it came in 2020) Klopp’s impact has been immense.

Perhaps only Bill Shankly and Dalglish can claim to enjoy as much adoration as the 56-year-old. For a generation of fans who missed the heydays of the 1970s and 1980s he is the undisputed hero, the man who built a new Anfield bastion and not only won a sixth European Cup but finally brought home that long-awaited 19th league title.

Of course, Klopp is perfectly capable of rubbing people up the wrong way with his outspoken views on various topics or