Jurgen Klopp has underlined Liverpool’s commitment to protecting their young players after a row over the future of academy striker Bobby Duncan.
Earlier this week, Duncan’s agent, Saif Rubie, took to social media to blast the Merseyside club and their sporting director Michael Edwards for "mentally bullying" his client .
Rubie’s explosive statement came after the Reds had turned down a number of loan offers for the forward who, according to his representative, is keen to leave this summer.
Speaking to reporters at Melwood, Klopp hit back at suggestions that the club do not have the interests of all their staff at heart.
The German also insisted it is now up to all parties to "do the right thing" to bring about a satisfactory conclusion to a tricky situation.
He said: “We have an official statement, I think, from the club about that. Really, that’s the situation.
“I would say it’s really difficult to speak about it as a non-native speaker because it’s really important that each word is the right one, and I’m not native obviously.
“What I can say is that Bobby is one of our young players, and we really care about our young players - really, really care.
“That’s pretty much all I can say because I know that from the club, I’m four years in and I know that we are like this.
“Not only with young players, with all players in football sometimes, contract things can be - not a massive problem because there are bigger things in life - but a problem because one wants to extend or not extend or whatever.
“You have these situations constantly that you aren’t even aware of, that’s a completely normal situation. With all generations, with all age groups, it’s always the same, it’s a normal thing.
“But, with young players, we are especially sensitive. If I now say more about it, it would just create headlines which is not important, nobody needs to read headlines.
“We need to do the right thing, all the different parties need to do the right thing, and everything will be fine.
“It’s not about having any big lines from the manager, we are in the situation and that’s all I can say about it.”
Klopp wouldn’t be drawn into further comment on Duncan, who only joined Liverpool last summer after a contract wrangle with former club Manchester City.
But he did talk up the importance of patience to young players who are hoping to break through at elite-level clubs.
He added: “One general thing is, and it has really nothing to do with the Bobby Duncan thing, it’s what I say to all the young players and if I speak to parents as well: a young player has all the benefits.
“We’re talking about young skilled players at Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, they are all skilled like crazy. The only big problem they could have is if they lose patience.
“Life is like this, you cannot do the next step before the first step, you have to make it step by step, that’s how it is if you’re not Lionel Messi and at 17 ready to play for Barcelona. I don’t see it that often that players are ready for that but it is possible of course.
“Mostly, it’s really about patience and patience in the right way, in a football way. Not waiting for things, being ready for making all the steps you have to do, training hard, playing on the next level, doing what the coach is telling you - and we make sure the coach is telling you the right things - then everything is fine.
“But they are all individuals, so how could I have a general opinion about them? If I face them, I treat them like individuals, that’s all.”
