Gerrard: Klopp will “give you everything you need and more”

Steven Gerrard has revealed how he gleaned wisdom from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp while studying for his Pro Licence.

The Rangers manager also talked candidly about how he left the Reds’ game against Barcelona on Tuesday before the final whistle.

“I had to leave. I couldn’t cope when it went to four,” Gerrard said.

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“I had visions of a couple of ex-team-mates (Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez) and the best player in the world (Lionel Messi)breaking my heart, so I decided to leave.

“I had seen enough. I got in the car at 4-0. I don’t think many left, everyone was there. The main reason I left early was because I had my seven-year-old daughter with me and she had school the next day.

“But I would be a liar if I said there were no nerves and I wasn’t scared. It was the best decision to just get out of there.”

The former Liverpool captain also spoke about how a 15-minute interview with Klopp became a 90-minute learning session for the Gers boss.

“I understand his job is 24/7 and around the clock and he doesn’t need me nagging him or being in his face,” said Gerrard.

“But what I will say is that every time I have met him or come across him, he has been brilliant.

“Recently I did an interview with him for my Pro Licence. It was meant to be 15 minutes and he had me in there for an hour and a half.

“He is one of those people who is real and authentic, who will give you everything you need and more.

“He is an open book and, to be fair, every time I have asked him for anything, not that I’ve asked him for a lot, he has gone above and beyond.

“Some of his methods, ways and ideas are fascinating. They’re different but he’s obviously getting a lot of joy and success from it.

“It’s something I will always remember if I’m ever at the stage where I have the amount of experience they’ve got.

“I will always make sure I give people the time they’ve given me, to help me along the way.

“Where I am sitting, you aspire to be as good as all the top managers in the world, of course you do.

“Their level of experience and what they have been through, they are obviously a lot further down the line than I am.

“But I try to watch those people, their interviews, what they do and how they behave.

“Tactically you try to learn off them because Jurgen and Mauricio Pochettino are probably two of the best in the world.

“Those two have come up on the rails alongside your Jose Mourinhos of the world and rightly so with what they’ve achieved over the last couple of years at their clubs.

“They deserve to be mentioned as being among the best managers in the world.”

Gerrard also revealed how the magic of European nights at Anfield influenced his mindset for crucial games for Rangers this season.

“I can prepare myself more for an Old Firm game because I know what’s coming,” he said. “You get in the zone and once it kicks off I’ll be ready to face whatever comes at us the whole game. On the outside, you are in the stands and anything can happen, you get a little bit more anxious. It’s different when you are on the inside.

“As the Liverpool game was snowballing and the noise was getting louder and louder, it took me back to certain playing days when I was there.

“But it also took me back to the Old Firm game at Ibrox and the noise and, maybe, the last 15 minutes against Rapid Vienna.

“There’s no doubt about it, if we can get that close to some big success here, these fans are going to be with us making that type of noise.

“Hopefully we can get some special nights at Ibrox because that’s what I signed up for.

“These fans are desperate for situations like that and we’ve got a responsibility to try to deliver it.

“We’ve progressed but there is still a lot of work to do for us to get that close.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com