Jurgen Klopp has personally invited Sven-Goran Eriksson to the AXA Training Centre after the former England manager revealed his regret at having never managed Liverpool following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Former Three Lions boss Eriksson’s decorated career spanned over 30 years and saw him lift trophies with Benfica, Roma, Lazio and Goteborg, who he guided 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 going public with the news, calls have grown to allow Eriksson the opportunity to manage Liverpool’s legends team at their annual LFC Foundation charity match, which will be against an Ajax alumni side during the March international break.
And while Klopp says that decision is ultimately not up to him, he sent out an invitation to Eriksson to come and spend time at the club’s training base in Kirkby to get an insight into how the current Premier League leaders operate on a day-to-day basis.
“I don’t know him, unfortunately not,” Klopp said. “I know him without knowing him, we never met. As far as I know. Yes, it was obviously very touching news when you heard about it.
“I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life. So I heard now about the legends match and stuff like that.
“I’m not in charge of that so I can’t say anything about that. The only thing I can say is absolutely he’s very welcome to come here and he can sit in my seat in my office and do my job for a day if he wants.
“That’s no problem. Being on the sideline might be a little bit more difficult. To have him here and show him everything and how this wonderful club developed over the years, I think that’s definitely something we will tell him.
“He can come over and have a few wonderful hours here I’m sure.”
Former Reds striker Robbie Fowler hinted on social media last week that a call had been made on Eriksson’s behalf to take charge of the Reds legends later this year after the 75-year-old told of his love of Liverpool in an interview with Sky News.
“I always wished to be the manager of Liverpool,” Eriksson revealed. “My father is still alive and is still a Liverpool supporter, and I’m a Liverpool supporter as well, I’ve always been. So I always wished to be the manager of Liverpool, and that will not happen for sure, but I’m still a Liverpool fan.”
And after being told of Fowler’s tweet that the “calls gone in” last week, the former Leicester manager admitted it would be “a dream” to take charge at Anfield.
“I would accept of course, that’s been my dream,” Eriksson told Good Morning Britain. “There would be a lot of good football players, That’s always been my dream but I’m not complaining. I had a lot of good football teams, national teams and the clubs so I’m happy anyhow.”
