Jurgen Klopp has personally invited Sven-Goran Eriksson to the AXA Training Centre after the former England manager expressed remorse over never managing Liverpool following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Eriksson’s decorated career spanned over 30 years, and he won trophies with Benfica, Roma, Lazio, and Goteborg, whom he led to the UEFA Cup in 1982, but after opening up about his illness earlier this month, the Swede admitted he would have loved to have coached the Reds at Anfield.
Since the news broke, there has been a growing desire for Eriksson to coach Liverpool’s legends team in their annual LFC Foundation charity friendly against an Ajax alumni side during the international break in March.
While Klopp insists that the final choice is not his, he has invited Eriksson to spend time at the club’s training base in Kirkby to gain insight into how the current Premier League leaders function on a daily basis.
“I don’t know him, unfortunately,” Klopp admitted. “I know him without knowing him; we have never met. So far as I know. Yes, when you heard the news, it must have been quite emotional.
“I heard for the first time about his passion or love for Liverpool, and how he had been a fan his entire life. So I just heard about the legends match and stuff like that.
“I am not in control of that, therefore I can’t say anything about that. The only thing I can say is that he is most welcome to come here and sit in my office seat and do my job for the day if he so desires.
“That’s not an issue. Being on the sidelines can be more tough. We plan to demonstrate him the club’s history and development.He can come over and spend a few enjoyable hours here, I’m sure.”
Former Reds striker Robbie Fowler suggested on social media last week that a contact had been made on Eriksson’s behalf to take over the Reds legends later this year, following an interview with Sky News in which the 75-year-old expressed his love for Liverpool.
“I’ve always wanted to be the manager of Liverpool,” Eriksson admitted. “My father is still alive and a Liverpool supporter, as am I, and I have always been. So I’ve always wanted to be Liverpool’s manager, and that won’t happen, but I’m still a supporter.”
And after being informed of Fowler’s tweet that the “calls have gone in” last week, the former Leicester boss confessed it would be “a dream” to to take charge at Anfield.
“I would accept, of course; that is my dream,” Eriksson told Good Morning Britain. “There will be a lot of good football players, which has always been my ambition, but I’m not complaining. I had a lot of good football teams, national teams, and clubs, so I’m satisfied in any case.”
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