Ian Wright has often been accused of being a secret Liverpool fan for the admiration he has shown the club, and Jurgen Klopp‘s upcoming departure has prompted him to have his say.
The manager’s announcement that he will leave at the end of the season has been the talk of the sport in recent days, with pundits, players and managers all sharing their thoughts on the news.
Wright established himself as an Arsenal legend during his seven years at Highbury, notching 171 goals from 274 appearances.
Despite this, many have questioned whether he has a soft spot for the Reds, something he has confessed could well be the case after recent events.
“It was a sad day. I was quite sad,” the former Gunners striker admitted to ITV before the 5-2 FA Cup victory over Norwich.
“People say I’m a closet Liverpool fan and if the shock and sadness – because I was really sad – says that I’m a closet Liverpool fan, then I probably am. Because I was really sad to hear the news.”
It is an admission that is unlikely to please Arsenal fans, but his likeable personality means he would be more than welcomed as an honorary Red by the Kop.
He continued to heap praise onto the manager for what he has achieved in his tenure so far, describing his Anfield career to this point as “amazing.”
“Amazing for what he’s come in and done, when they appointed him, they targeted him as the man to take Liverpool back to the great times, bring them to the head table,” he added.
“It took him three years to get going, won his first trophy, but once he’s done that and engraved himself into the Liverpool culture and won everything.”
It has been a story that has shaken football, underlining how much of a significant character Klopp is across the sport.
He could still potentially manage the Reds 29 more times between now and May if they are able to reach every final – as they did in 2021/22.
Regardless of what happens between now and the day he waves goodbye, the role he has played in transforming the club continues to not go unnoticed among his fellow professionals.
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