Curtis Jones says Liverpool’s players had a ‘strange’ feeling about Jurgen Klopp recently

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Curtis Jones has detailed the events of the day Jurgen Klopp announced his imminent departure from Liverpool.

Klopp stunned the world of football two weeks ago by declaring his intention to leave the Reds at the end of the season. It caught just about everybody off guard.

Perhaps the people most surprised by the manager’s decision will have been his players. So far, we’ve heard snippets of how the Liverpool squad reacted to the news that they’d have a new boss in just a few months time.

But now, speaking to BBC Sport, Jones has added a little more colour to the day that Liverpool stood still.

“We were in the changing rooms as a team, I was actually inside the gym and we got told everybody has to be inside at half 10,” explained the 23-year-old. “He came in and it was a bit of a strange one. We didn’t know what was going to be said but I could feel it amongst the lads, it was a little bit strange.

“He broke the news, it was tough to take and stuff. He’s his own man and you have to respect the fact he’s got his own things that he wants to go and do with his family. He’s turned me from a boy to a man and I’m grateful for him. So is the team, so are the fans and the city and we hope to give him a good send off.”

Liverpool squad react to Klopp exit

Oh to have been a fly on the wall at this meeting. Although Liverpool are set to release a documentary showing Klopp’s final months at the club, it’s pretty certain that this is one scene that won’t be shared.

As a result, we’ll have to take the testimonies of the likes of Jones and build the picture in our own heads.

You really can picture it. It must have been disconcerting for the players to be told to gather out of the blue without any inkling of what was going to happen.

Emotional man that he is, it would have been difficult for Jurgen to keep calm as his squad filed into the room.

That will naturally create a slightly strange atmosphere, which Jones obviously picked up on.

But as the midfielder also says, he and the rest of his teammates will have known that from there that was it. There was no changing Klopp’s mind.

There’s also seemingly no animosity or anger from the players. The manager has done enough for all of them that they should – and have – accepted his decision completely.

Now, the only thing left to do is go out and make sure it’s as memorable a season as possible. Last weekend’s loss to Arsenal has dampened the mood around the club a little. But tomorrow brings a new game and another chance to lay down a marker.

Thankfully, the strangeness surrounding Klopp and everything has dissipated a little. That will no doubt return as his last games come around the corner. Until then, let’s remember to enjoy it.