Pepijn Lijnders has revealed that he has rejected several opportunities to take charge of other clubs in order to see out Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool reign.
The Dutchman is to join Klopp in departing Anfield this summer so that he can restart his own managerial career elsewhere.
Lijnders was asked if he might have been a contender to step up into the top job instead of an external appointment, a possibility that has been firmly ruled out.
And, though the 41-year-old offered a rather evasive response on that front, he underlined his commitment to finishing the job he had started with Klopp.
He said: “We knew already in the summer that we are coming toward the end of this project.
“The last years, I got offers. My heart always said yes, my loyalty and my respect and friendship with Mike and Jurgen said no.
“So, the moment we spoke and he said ‘I’m thinking about [leaving]’ I said that is, for me, clear: I will go and manage.
“We will end this project together. I feel that it’s the project of a lot of people and I feel that it’s the right way to do it, like this. The club can find a new coach with new elements.
“But I’m excited to manage, I’m excited to go, to find the right club who really wants [me].
“But until the last final of the season, I’m focused on Liverpool, not on what’s happening now. That’s why we have agents, no?”
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