"Over an hour" – Steven Gerrard says he had a few drinks and a couple of smokes with Jurgen Klopp before Liverpool's 2022 UCL final

Steven Gerrard met Jurgen Klopp in the city of Liverpool last May.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard recently opened up on his spontaneous meeting with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp. He stated that the pair had a few drinks ahead of last year's UEFA Champions League final.

Klopp, who was appointed as Reds boss in October 2015, guided his team to two domestic trophies last season. The Anfield side missed out on the Premier League title against Manchester City by just a single point. They then suffered a 1-0 loss against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League summit clash last May.

Prior to the prestigious final in Paris, Klopp had a surprise meeting with Gerrard in Liverpool. The pair were spotted by a fan and his Twitter post ended up going viral ahead of the Reds' European encounter.

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Now, Gerrard has spilled the details of his chance drinking session with Klopp. In an interview with The Anfield Wrap, he elaborated:

"He was walking the dog on the street, while I was sitting outside the bar with one of my friends having a couple of pints. I shouted over to wish him good luck, because he had a Champions League final days later against Real. I thought he'd be in the zone."

Shedding light on his conversation with Klopp, Gerrard added:

"He said to me: 'No, no, no. Go to the bar and get me a pint.' So we got him a pint. He ended up having two or three pints, he had a couple of smokes as well while his dog waited patiently. The three of us had a good craic for probably over an hour, talking about football, about life in Liverpool and his plans for the future."

Lauding the former Borussia Dortmund man, Gerrard concluded:

"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. He's a genuine, humble character, with a presence and an aura. At the same time, he's one of the most gifted managers ever."

So far, Klopp has helped Liverpool lift a total of seven trophies.

Are Liverpool running out of time to secure UEFA Champions League spot this term?

Despite being just two wins away from quadruple glory last season, the Reds are currently seven points off a UEFA Champions League berth in the Premier League table.

The Merseyside outfit are sixth with 42 points from 26 games. Newcastle United are fifth with 47 points from 26 games and Tottenham Hotspur are fourth with 49 points from 28 matches.

Liverpool are set to face Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal in the opening nine days of April in the Premier League. With the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, and Kostas Tsimikas out with respective injuries, they have a tough task ahead of them.