Jurgen Klopp's final Liverpool gesture hailed as key to Reds title charge - 'A huge moment' - The Mirror

Liverpool have enjoyed a fine start to life under Arne Slot but a former Reds defender has given Jurgen Klopp an unlikely assist after watching his old club open up a healthy lead at the Premier League summit

Martin Skrtel believes Liverpool's title charge has been helped by Jurgen Klopp after the German went out of his way to endorse Arne Slot in his Anfield swansong.

Klopp bowed out at the end of last season after almost nine years at the helm. It was during his emotional farewell at Anfield that he urged Reds fans to get behind Slot and even sung the then-Feyenoord boss' name.

Slot himself has hit all the right notes since stepping into Klopp's shoes: he's won 10 of his 12 Premier League matches so far to open up an eight-point gap at the summit ahead of the reigning champions, Manchester City, who they face at home on Sunday.

And Skrtel, speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes' "Gaffer of all Accas", has been majorly impressed with how Slot has Liverpool playing these days.

“I don't think many people would've expected to have been in this situation in the league after just 12 games, so of course I'm happy with how things are going. Right now, things are going great... after Jurgen Klopp left in the summer, people didn't know how things were going to go, or what to expect from Arne Slot - especially after the transfer window in the summer, where the club wasn't as active as people may have liked.

“But what I really like about Arne is that he's always played down any questions about transfers, and stressed it's not his job to talk about transfers; his job is to improve the current squad, and that's exactly what he's done so far.

“He's changed the style, he's changed the formation and he's changed the tactics, and up to this point, it's worked. Some players have grown massively under him, and talking as both a Liverpool fan and ex-player, I've got to say I really like this style of play.

Join the debate! What have you made of Slot's start to life at Liverpool? Let us know here

“Eight points clear, at this stage, is incredible, but there are still so many games to play, and we're approaching a really difficult Christmas period - we've just got to hope we're in a really strong place after Christmas, in terms of injuries. But if things continue going in this current direction, this could be a great season for us.”

He went on to reference Klopp singing his successor's name at Anfield as a key moment, underlining that effectively eased the pressure on Slot as well as endearing him to fans.

“What was important for him, right from the very start, was the reception from the fans. You know, when you look back at the end of last season, when Jurgen Klopp started to sing his name with the fans - that was a huge moment, for me, because it meant the fans were on his side from the very first day.

“I'm so impressed with him, and with the team and how they've adapted to his style.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.