Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Comments on Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund vs. Liverpool, More

Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is eager to show his former manager and current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp the incredible progress Die Schwarzgelben have made, and he credits the German coach for turning him into the player he is today.

Dortmund will host the Reds in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, a match that will mark Klopp's first return to the Signal Iduna Park since he left the club last season. Die Schwarzgelben have returned to their dominant ways under new manager Thomas Tuchel, and Aubameyang can't wait to show just how far they've come.

Per Dominic King of the Daily Mail, he also reserved special praise for the current Liverpool boss:

"

It is great for us to have this game. We can show Klopp we have worked hard to get back to where we were and that we have progression. It will be a very difficult game, for sure, but we want to show Klopp that we are working very hard.

I owe him a lot. It was great to work with him and he taught me many things. If I play like this as a striker now, it is because of him.

"

When Aubameyang left AC Milan for Saint-Etienne in 2011, he was seen as a talented but inconsistent player who didn't have what it takes to thrive on the highest level, and he barely convinced during several loan spells.

He looked solid, if unspectacular, during his time with Les Verts, but Klopp saw something in the Gabon international and brought him to Dortmund in 2013. Less than three years later, he's widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, seemingly scoring goals for fun. Per WhoScored.com, he has already netted 23 times in the Bundesliga this season.

Here's a look at the player Aubameyang has become:

The speedster seemed destined for a role as a prolific winger, but Klopp moulded him into a centre-forward and expanded his skill set. Aubameyang is no longer a raw athletic specimen―he thrives in the air, has developed a knack for being in the right place at the right time and is comfortable converting chances with both feet.

He was at it again on Saturday, scoring a vital goal in Dortmund's come-from-behind win over Werder Bremen that kept the team alive in the Bundesliga title race.

Per OptaFranz, he set a new record along the way:

Aubameyang is locked in a race for the Bundesliga's top scorer's title with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, the former team-mate whose production he replaced when the Poland international left the club in 2014.

Per King, he relishes the chance to go up against Lewandowski: “It is a big target. Of course it is very hard to follow Lewandowski. But it is a very good target to have and I am really happy to have scored again. I know that this competition has not finished. The battle will be on until the end and we will see who will be the champion!”

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

According to King, Aubameyang is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, and a host of Premier League clubs are also watching him. Per Bild (h/t Daily Star's Jonathan Green), Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are all possible destinations.

But Aubameyang seems perfectly happy in Dortmund for now, although he would love to play for Los Blancos at some point in the future, as he recently admitted to AS (h/t Daily Star's Marc Williams).

According to Bleacher Report's Clark Whitney, Die Schwarzgelben might consider a sale if the price is right:

But all of that is talk for the future. Aubameyang and his team-mates will be eager to impress their former boss when he and his new club pay a visit to the Signal Iduna Park, and Dortmund's vocal fans will surely turn the night into an unforgettable experience.  

Follow @ReverschPass