Jurgen Klopp Dreamed of Managing Manchester United, Reveals Coaching Mentor

Before he joined Liverpool Jurgen Klopp's "dream" English club to manage was Manchester United, not the Anfield outfit, according to the German's Mainz predecessor and coaching mentor Eckhard Krautzun.

Krautzun revealed that former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was also well aware of Klopp's preference and said the Scot became a big admirer of the former Mainz boss when he helmed Borussia Dortmund's 5-2 victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 German Cup final, per Archie Rhind-Tutt on The Set Pieces: 

"It would be his dream to go to England one day and his favourite club would be [Manchester] United. That’s what [Klopp] said.

"I said [to Sir Alex], 'Jurgen Klopp, if he goes abroad, if he goes to England, his love would be Manchester United.' 

"I think that [German Cup final] is where his love or respect for Jurgen Klopp grew tremendously. After three or four months not working, I knew that he wanted to be in action again…when the offer came from Liverpool [that October], I knew he would not hesitate because he wanted to get into a top club in England."

Klopp joined Liverpool as Brendan Rodgers' successor in October 2015 after leaving BVB at the end of the 2014-15 season.

He had earned a stellar reputation in Germany, succeeding with Mainz in his first managerial role before winning two Bundesliga titles in his seven years with Dortmund.

The 50-year-old has established himself as a well-loved figure at Anfield and has returned Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League, but he has yet to win any silverware.

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His current opposite number at United, Jose Mourinho, won the Community Shield, League Cup and UEFA Europa League in his first campaign in charge at Old Trafford last term.

The two storied sides face off for a crucial Premier League encounter at Anfield on Saturday, and it seems there is the possibility it could have been Klopp in the away dugout if circumstances had been different.

United's managerial situation has been volatile since Ferguson retired in 2013.

But Klopp left Dortmund and became available for hire just after Louis van Gaal had led United to fourth place in the Premier League in 2014-15, a significant improvement on the seventh spot earned by the Red Devils under David Moyes the season before.

By the time Van Gaal was let go and replaced by Mourinho in May 2016, though, Klopp was already firmly in place at Liverpool.