Jurgen Klopp to Liverpool: Former assistants hail ex-Dortmund manager’s ability to get the best out of his players

Two of Jurgen Klopp’s former assistants have sung his praises as the German edges closer to replacing Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager.

Standard Sport understands that Klopp, who guided Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2013, will be offered a three-year deal to fill the role at Anfield after the club sacked Rodgers on Sunday evening, following the draw with Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Colin Bell, who assisted Klopp at Mainz between 2001 and 2005, told the BBC’s World Service that 48-year-old’s managerial style is ‘exactly what players need’.

"He's not an actor in this sense," he said. "He's authentic, he can show his emotions - you can see that on the sidelines when he gets upset with referees or his players.

"Klopp has this reputation in Germany as happy and easy to get along with, but he's also a very hard worker on the pitch and if the players do not please him or do not do exactly what he wants them to do then he can get stuck into them which is exactly what players need."

Meanwhile Gary Gordon, Dortmund’s academy coach, says Klopp is more than capable of creating the right atmosphere for a team to flourish.

"With a team backing him, I think he'll be able to fix it in a short period of time, at least stabilise the team and be able to play at the level they're supposed to be playing at," he told the BBC.