“I thought he’d be in the zone” – Steven Gerrard recalls how he hilariously shared pints with Jurgen Klopp before Liverpool’s UCL final

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard shared a funny interaction he had with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Ahead of the team's Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2022, the midfielder accidentally met Klopp in a pub and the pair had a long chat.

Speaking to the Anfield Wrap, Gerrard said:

“He was walking the dog. I was sitting outside with one of my friends having a couple of pints. I shouted over to wish him good luck, because he had a final days later. I thought he’d be in the zone. He said to me: ‘No, no, no. Go the bar and get me a pint’. So we get him a pint."

Gerrard added:

“He ended up having two or three, he had a couple of smokes, his dog waited patiently, and we had a good craic for probably over an hour. [We talked] about football, about life in Liverpool, his plans for the future."

“He was just really great company to have and it was different from a football environment, it was Jurgen in his plain clothes, his dog walking gear. He was fantastic with my mate, he made him feel part of the conversation and I think that just sums the man up."

Eventually, it was a night to forget for the Merseyside club as they lost 1-0 to the La Liga giants. It was a close game overshadowed by security issues that saw many Reds supporters miss the game after making the trip to Paris.

Gerrard never had an opportunity to play under Klopp, having left Liverpool at the end of the 2014-15 season. The German took charge in October 2015 when Gerrard went to the US to play for MLS side LA Galaxy.

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Liverpool set to break Jurgen Klopp's golden rule in pre-season

A host of injuries has made Klopp reconsider his pre-season plans.

Liverpool are set to make a change to their pre-season itinerary at the end of the 2022-23 season.

The Reds have been on the receiving end of a number of injuries which have affected their performances this season. Thus, the club have planned to postpone their usual trip to Asia.

Klopp said (via Daily Mail):

"I wouldn't go, in the first week, to Asia. Not because Asia is not great, but I would go to Asia in the third week, or something like that, but it was not in really in our hands."

Liverpool played a pre-season match against Crystal Palace in Singapore in July 2022. The Merseyside team are now considering a number of options to prevent a repeat of this situation.