Jurgen Klopp watches Liverpool loanee in person as goalkeeper finally debuts

September 11, 2023
Jack Lusby

Jurgen Klopp made a rare trip to watch another team in action at the weekend, featuring a Liverpool loanee, while another was given his debut.

Given his timetable as manager of one of the world’s biggest clubs, Klopp is rarely afforded the luxury of travelling to watch another team.

Usually, he would catch other games either from the comfort of his own home or the analysis suite at the AXA Training Centre.

But Saturday saw Klopp return to his former club, Mainz, for an appearance as part of a farewell to the Sudtribune stand at the German side’s old stadium, the Bruchwegstadion.

Some things are just meant to be ???#Mainz05 pic.twitter.com/o8ENChRisw

— Mainz 05 English (@Mainz05en) September 9, 2023

While there, he took in Mainz’s mid-season friendly against third-tier side MSV Duisburg, with Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg starting.

Van den Berg played 84 minutes in front of over 4,000 supporters who bid farewell to the Sudtribune, as he continues his run of games after injury.

Elsewhere, five other loanees featured in competitive games, including a belated debut for goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski with Den Bosch.

The 20-year-old joined Eerst Divisie side Den Bosch at the start of August, but was an unused substitute in his first four games with the club as he finds himself behind first-choice stopper Joey Roggeveen.

With Roggeveen part of the Suriname squad called up for CONCACAF Nations League clashes with Grenada and Cuba this month, though, Ojrzynski was handed a debut in a trip to Cambuur.

Unfortunately, it ended in a 3-1 defeat for Den Bosch, with Ojrzynski bringing down Remco Balk to award Cambuur a penalty.

There was more success for Harvey Davies at Crewe, though, with the goalkeeper part of an excellent display in a 4-1 victory over Forest Green Rovers.

Also in League Two, Adam Lewis played the full 90 minutes at left-back as Newport County lost 4-1 to Crawley, while in the FA Trophy, goalkeeper Luke Hewitson was part of a 2-1 win for Stalybridge Celtic over Trafford.

It was a weekend to forget for Anderson Arroyo, with the Colombian one of four players brought off at half-time when Andorra FC were 2-0 down to Mirandes.

Arroyo, who has spent the entirely of his five years at Liverpool so far out on loan, was hooked against his former club in an eventual 4-3 defeat in the Segunda Division.