Jurgen Klopp assembled one of the most dominant teams in Europe en route to Liverpool winning their first-ever Premier League title.
Klopp’s nine-year reign at Anfield was immortalised in 2020 with the trophy, while he also cemented himself in the history books with a Champions League triumph against Tottenham Hotspur.
A number of big names stole the headlines in those sides, including the departing Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, but the German coach has now given a special mention to Georginio Wijnaldum.
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People didn’t realise how important Georginio Wijnaldum was for Liverpool
As per the Daily Mail, the former Reds boss has been discussing all the top names from his time at Anfield who have since moved on.
He was eager to show love for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who, along with Salah, Klopp has previously described as some of the best signings for Liverpool, or any club.
But he also suggested that fans probably never noticed just how good Wijnaldum was until his exit in 2021.
He said: “We lost Sadio Mane. We could sing a song about him. What a player he was! Bobby Firmino: Oh. My. God.
“On the day Gini (Wijnaldum) went (in 2021), probably none of you thought; ‘that’s a big miss’ until he was not there anymore. Then you thought: ‘Oh!’ He was the combination of technique, power, tactical discipline and all these kind of things.
“Then Hendo (Jordan Henderson) left (in 2023). Some thought: “Good! It’s time!” Milly went (in 2024) and all these kind of things. That’s just how it is.”
Where does Georginio Wijnaldum play now?
The Dutchman left Liverpool on a free transfer to join Ligue 1 powerhouse PSG in the summer of 2021.
He spent time on loan with AS Roma while on the books of the French outfit before securing a permanent transfer to Al-Ettifaq in September 2023.
Wijnaldum remains under contract with the Saudi side, for whom he has scored an impressive 13 goals and provided five assists in 26 matches this term.
Al-Ettifaq are currently seventh in the Saudi Pro League, while Mane’s Al-Nassr sit at the summit.
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