Following the sad passing of Liverpool and England legend Roger Hunt at the age of 83, Jurgen Klopp has joined fans in paying tribute to a “giant of our club.”
Hunt passed away peacefully on Monday evening following a long illness, with the club confirming the death of their second-highest goalscorer.
The local-born striker netted 285 times in 492 games for Liverpool, spending 11 years at Anfield and earning the nickname Sir Roger among supporters, as a crucial part of Bill Shankly‘s successful side.
A World Cup winner with England in 1966, Hunt is second only to Ian Rush in the Reds’ all-time goalscorers list, while he tops the charts when it comes to goals in the league.
Following the news, Klopp paid tribute via the club’s official website, hailing Hunt as someone who is “second to no-one in his importance in the history of
“I am told the Kop christened him ‘Sir Roger’ for all his achievements,” the manager reflected.
“A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his team-mates; I believe he would have fit in well within our current team.
“So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Though Hunt left Liverpool in 1969, and therefore his time with the club came before many modern supporters began watching the Reds, he is cherished as a legend on Merseyside.
That was shown as players and fans alike took to social media to honour a remarkable goalscorer and a gentleman off the pitch:
The saddest news my all time boyhood hero ‘Sir Roger Hunt’ has passed away. Can’t put into words how much I adored him, I’m heartbroken. Sincere condolences to Rowan, family and https://t.co/U12pYVOPcC YNWA
— David Fairclough (@DFairclough12) September 28, 2021
Take care of Sir Roger for us Saint.
RIP Roger Hunt #Legend #YNWA pic.twitter.com/X5if8EZzXw
— Jan Molby (@JanMolby) September 28, 2021
RIP Sir Roger Hunt ? one of the greatest goal scorers our club has ever seen. Sir Roger along with the other Legends from the 60’s made @LFC the club it is today ??? https://t.co/kgMxlu5Gqy
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) September 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/Robbie9Fowler/status/1442815527450185735
I’m absolutely gutted to hear of the passing away of one,if not THE BEST Lfc strikers SIR ROGER HUNT.What a striker and a true Gentlemen,I had the great pleasure of being with him on many https://t.co/pafs9YfjpC My Nu 1 Legend and Hero.?YNWA
— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) September 28, 2021
Here's Roger Hunt scoring the first ever goal shown on @bbcmotd https://t.co/ZQlra5VUpE
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) September 28, 2021
Nobody looked better in all red.
Nobody.
And few played better.
I honestly thought he'd live forever. pic.twitter.com/t8cina9n7p
— Steven Kelly (@SteKelly198586) September 28, 2021
RIP Sir Roger, an iconic figure in LFC history whose goals helped propel the club to the elite. Reunited with Shanks and The Saint now ??
— Aaron Cutler (@aaron_cutler) September 28, 2021
So very sad to hear of the loss of Roger Hunt. My dad has forever insisted he was the greatest striker Liverpool have ever had, and it was utterly pointless to argue the toss with him over the matter. Sleep well. pic.twitter.com/4QRuuTyloM
— Steven Scragg (@Scraggy_74) September 28, 2021
Knighted by the Kop, one of THE greats – I grew up knowing Roger Hunt as the man Ian Rush was trying to surpass as Liverpool’s greatest goalscorer. One of those LFC players I wish I’d seen in the flesh rather than just on video, really sad news. RIP Sir Roger https://t.co/dAqAS1e5Go
— Chris Mac (@chrismackop) September 28, 2021
Very sad to hear Roger Hunt has passed away. Never saw him play, but I know he was good enough to be Knighted by the Kop. A hero and a legend who brought joy to everyone connected with @LFC. RIP Sir Roger pic.twitter.com/F8vSbWoRrW
— Jeff Goulding (@ShanklysBoys1) September 28, 2021
A light has gone out at Anfield. One of the giants, a man who set standards and smashed records. His statistics tell you about him as a player, those who knew him tell you he was an absolute gentlemen. That is what matters https://t.co/uSHXc5tA2K
— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) September 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/neiljonesgoal/status/1442811183761854473
Rest in peace Sir Roger Hunt. Legends don’t come much bigger. Probably the most starstruck I’ve ever been doing my job. YNWA pic.twitter.com/OqS18vu81t
— Paul Doward (@PaulDowardRadio) September 28, 2021
Such sad news. RIP to one of the greatest players in the history of Liverpool Football Club.
– 492 appearances
– 285 goals
– 3 x league titles
– 1 x FA Cup
– 1 x World CupLegend. https://t.co/gKxq7Rcqw6
— Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) September 28, 2021
Saddened to hear of the passing of a true Merseyside football legend, World Cup winner Roger Hunt. Still more league goals for #LFC than any other player and always 'Sir' Roger in the Kop's eyes, regardless of any official title. pic.twitter.com/IwodFXrXtK
— Christopher Beesley (@CBeesleyEcho) September 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/Ste_Mono/status/1442814914972815371
RIP. 'Sir' Roger Hunt. Legend. Hero. YNWA.
— Ged Rea (@ged0407) September 28, 2021
Rest in peace, Sir Roger. You’ll Never Walk Alone.
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