Liverpool\u2019s influence has a habit of appearing in unlikely moments, even when a former manager is reflecting on football\u2019s past rather than current events.<\/p>\n
Jurgen Klopp recently revealed his personal \u201cMount Rushmore\u201d of football managers and, although he did not include himself, his choices offer a clear insight into the figures who shaped his outlook \u2014 and, in turn, shaped Liverpool under his guidance.<\/p>\n
Speaking on his official Instagram account, the 58-year-old acknowledged how challenging the exercise was. \u201cThis is my Mount Rushmore of football coaches, and narrowing it down to four is incredibly difficult, but I\u2019ll give it a go,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Klopp identifies the coaches who defined the game<\/p>\n
The former Borussia Dortmund coach began with two names closely linked to modern football philosophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohan Cruyff is the most influential coach I\u2019ve ever known,\u201d Klopp said. \u201cHis vision of the game and his understanding of football were simply unmatched.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola followed soon after, with Klopp adding: \u201cYou could say exactly the same about him. I\u2019ve faced his teams, so I know just how demanding that experience can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Longevity and sustained success then came into focus, with Sir Alex Ferguson described as \u201cthe most successful manager of all time.\u201d However, Klopp admitted selecting the final name proved the toughest decision.<\/p>\n
Why Shankly\u2019s inclusion resonates<\/p>\n
\u201cNow it becomes really hard,\u201d Klopp said, mentioning Carlo Ancelotti before turning to two figures whose names carry special weight at Anfield.<\/p>\n
\u201cBill Shankly and Bob Paisley \u2014 I\u2019ve heard so much about them, even though I never saw them,\u201d he explained, before concluding: \u201cBut yes, Bill Shankly belongs on the Mount Rushmore.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Liverpool supporters, that recognition carries real significance. Not only because Shankly built the club\u2019s identity, but because his influence clearly reached the man who reignited belief during nine transformative years on Merseyside.<\/p>\n
Klopp\u2019s decision to leave himself out also stands in contrast to ongoing discussions about how often he is referenced in relation to Arne Slot, particularly after Wayne Rooney suggested such comparisons could increase pressure on the current head coach during difficult spells.<\/p>\n
Despite stepping away from management, Klopp remains closely connected to the modern game. He recently spoke of missing the \u201cintense atmosphere inside stadiums\u201d as he prepares for a punditry role at the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n
Even without a touchline role, Klopp\u2019s reverence for Liverpool\u2019s history continues to highlight why his bond with the club \u2014 and its supporters \u2014 still feels so distinctive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Liverpool\u2019s influence has a habit of appearing in unlikely moments, even when a former manager is reflecting on football\u2019s past rather than current events. Jurgen Klopp recently revealed his personal \u201cMount Rushmore\u201d of football managers and, although he did not include himself, his choices offer a clear insight into the figures who shaped his outlook …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":56778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0472.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56777"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56779,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56777\/revisions\/56779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}