Jurgen Klopp will leave Anfield as a Liverpool legend, so Rousing The Kop looks at the XI from the German’s first game as their manager against Tottenham Hotspur in 2015.
The Stuttgart native announced in January 2024 that he will bow out after almost nine years in charge. Liverpool brought Klopp to Merseyside in October 2015 as the Reds bid to replace Brendan Rodgers. He took over with the club 10th in the Premier League after eight fixtures.
Liverpool finished Klopp’s debut season in charge in eighth place but it was just the start of a trophy-laden term. He has added Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup titles to Liverpool’s trophy cabinet. Klopp has also overseen more than 480 games in charge.
Liverpool drew 0-0 at Tottenham Hotspur in Jurgen Klopp’s first game as their manager
Klopp oversaw his first game as the manager of Liverpool away to Tottenham in the Premier League in October 2015. Spurs even held the Reds to a 0-0 draw under Mauricio Pochettino. Rubin Kazan also secured a 1-1 draw at Anfield in Klopp’s home debut in the Europa League.
Liverpool would give Klopp his first win in his fourth game as their manager at home to AFC Bournemouth with a 1-0 result in the EFL Cup. Klopp also took in a 3-1 win away to Chelsea under Jose Mourinho for his first Premier League win as Liverpool’s manager in that month.
The Reds hit great heights under Klopp, with a host of his signings even becoming Liverpool legends. But which players were in Liverpool’s XI for Klopp’s first game as the Reds’ manager against Tottenham? Well, Rousing The Kop has taken a look at Klopp’s very first Liverpool XI.
GK: Simon Mignolet – Liverpool, June 2013 – August 2019
Klopp kept Simon Mignolet as Liverpool’s goalkeeper for his first XI as their manager away to Tottenham in October 2015. The Belgian had already been the Anfield natives’ No1 since his move to Merseyside. Mignolet left Sunderland to join Liverpool under Rodgers in June 2013.
Mignolet ultimately remained Klopp’s No1 until January 2018 when Loris Karius took over in Liverpool’s net. The goalkeeper also stayed at Anfield until August 2019 when he joined Club Brugge. Mignolet made 100 of his 204 Liverpool appearances with Klopp standing in charge.
RB: Nathaniel Clyne – Liverpool, July 2015 – October 2020
Rodgers signed Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton in July 2015 and Klopp utilised the right-back’s presence for his first XI as Liverpool’s manager. Klopp also continued to trust Clyne’s presence until he suffered a back injury during a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2017.
The injury marked the first major fitness problem Clyne endured before eventually returning to his former academy team, Crystal Palace, in October 2020. He left after 103 games for the Reds. Liverpool also loaned Clyne to Bournemouth for the latter half of the 2018/19 season.
CB: Martin Skrtel – Liverpool, January 2008 – July 2016
Klopp’s first season in charge at Anfield also marked Martin Skrtel’s final season in the heart of Liverpool’s defence. The Slovakian switched Merseyside for Istanbul in July 2016 with his move to Fenerbahce. Rafa Benitez lured Skrtel from Zenit Saint Petersburg in January 2008.
Skrtel enjoyed 320 appearances for Liverpool over his eight-and-a-half-year stretch in their backline. But only 18 of those came under Klopp, having struggled to force a route back into his plans after suffering an injury in December 2015 which sidelined Skrtel until March 2016.
CB: Mamadou Sakho – Liverpool, September 2013 – August 2017
Klopp partnered Skrtel with Mamadou Sakho as Liverpool’s centre-backs in his first game as the Reds’ manager away to Tottenham. The Reds signed Sakho from Paris Saint-Germain in a deadline day transfer under Rodgers in September 2013 but he often faced injury troubles.
Sakho would ultimately only feature 80 times for Liverpool and made just 29 appearances in Klopp’s squads. The Reds also let the Frenchman join Crystal Palace on loan in January 2017 before selling Sakho to the Eagles that August. He remained at Selhurst Park until July 2021.
LB: Alberto Moreno – Liverpool, August 2014 – July 2019
Klopp followed Rodgers’ lead and named Alberto Moreno as Liverpool’s left-back in his first match in charge. But the German lost faith in the Spaniard during 2016 and would then sign Andrew Robertson in 2017. Moreno also eventually left Anfield to join Villarreal in July 2019.
Moreno departed Merseyside having featured 141 times for the Reds, with 90 of his outings coming under Klopp. He also offered one goal and nine assists and helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2018/19 – although he only played eight minutes in Europe that term.
CM: James Milner (C) – Liverpool, July 2015 – July 2023
Klopp arrived at Anfield just three months after Liverpool signed James Milner for free after his contract at Manchester City expired. Yet the German felt fit to let the midfielder keep the captaincy at Tottenham. Milner had adopted the armband as Jordan Henderson was injured.
Milner would also offer Klopp a versatile presence in Liverpool’s side through to the summer of 2023. He joined Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of his contract after 332 games for the Reds. Milner penned his games in their midfield, at left-back, on the wings and at right-back.
CM: Lucas Leiva – Liverpool, July 2007 – July 2017
One decade passed with Lucas Leiva in Liverpool’s midfield, between his arrival from Gremio in July 2007 and move to Lazio in July 2017. The Brazilian also played in 346 fixtures for the Reds, more than he amassed with Gremio (60) or Lazio (198) before retiring in March 2023.
Leiva also won the EFL Cup with Liverpool in 2012 but never touched a trophy during Klopp’s tenure at Anfield. He featured in 65 games under the German and offered one goal plus four assists. But Leiva struggled to keep a starting position in the Reds’ engine room under Klopp.
CM: Emre Can – Liverpool, July 2014 – July 2018
Champions League, Bundesliga, Serie A and DFB-Pokal winners’ medals are in Emre Can’s trophy cabinet. But the German never added any titles to his record with Liverpool between arriving from Bayern Munich in July 2014 and going to Juventus as a free agent in July 2018.
Can enjoyed 167 appearances for Liverpool and offered 14 goals plus 11 assists as a regular cog in their core whenever fit. Klopp also started Can in 102 of a potential 120 matches for 116 appearances, including in his first XI as Liverpool’s manager at Tottenham back in 2015.
CAM: Adam Lallana – Liverpool, July 2014 – July 2020
Klopp favoured a 4-3-2-1 formation when naming his first XI as Liverpool’s manager away to Tottenham in October 2015. The German also started with Adam Lallana in one of their two attacking midfield positions. Lallana had swapped Southampton for the Reds in July 2014.
Lallana would ultimately play 178 games for Liverpool before the midfielder joined Brighton in July 2020. He also scored 22 goals and laid on 22 assists whilst on Merseyside. Klopp saw Lallana bag 14 of his goals and 17 assists across 130 appearances, starting in 79 games, too.
CAM: Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool, January 2013 – January 2018
Klopp turned Philippe Coutinho into one of the world’s most expensive players of all time at Liverpool. The Brazilian left Inter Milan to join the Reds in January 2013. But he tempted FC Barcelona to break the bank for the playmaker’s signature with his performances for Klopp.
Coutinho featured 201 times for 54 goals and 45 assists at Anfield but registered 37 of those goals and 22 assists in just 89 games for Klopp. He also offered seven goals and six assists in the Rio de Janeiro native’s final 14 games in the Premier League during the 2017/18 term.
ST: Divock Origi – Liverpool, July 2014 – July 2022
Klopp handed Divock Origi his first start for Liverpool in the Premier League in the German’s first game as their manager at Tottenham in October 2015. The forward had joined the Reds from LOSC Lille in July 2014. But he spent the 2014/15 season on loan with the French side.
Origi struggled to get in Rodgers’ XI but instantly got Klopp’s backing. The Belgian made 171 of his 175 Liverpool appearances under Klopp. He also scored all 41 of his goals, including in one of Liverpool’s best European nights to date against Barcelona, plus 14 of his 15 assists.
Substitutes: Adam Bogdan (GK), Kolo Toure, Connor Randall, Joe Allen (82’, Lallana), Joao Carlos Teixeira, Jordon Ibe (87’, Coutinho), Jerome Sinclair