Jurgen Klopp has joked that he could remain Liverpool manager for 10 more years, having overseen the 1,000th game of his coaching career on Saturday,
The Reds played out a thoroughly forgettable 0-0 draw with Chelsea at Anfield, but it was still a momentous occasion for Klopp, who first stepped into the technical area 21 years ago with Mainz in his native Germany.
It was the former Borussia Dortmund boss' 411th match in charge of Liverpool, where he took over back in 2015 – and might stay until 2033...
Ok, an 18-year managerial stint seems extremely unlikely in the super-intense modern age of football – only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have lasted that long in the Premier League era – but Klopp appears quite content at Anfield, despite his team's struggles this season.
Speaking to BT Sport after Saturday's draw – which did neither side any favours and left the Reds 10 points off the top four at the halfway mark of their campaign – the 55-year-old said:
"My motivation [for the Liverpool job] is no problem. I am a bit like Obelix, who fell in the... You know Asterix and Obelix? Ah, you don't know it; forget it, it's obviously a German joke then. I have enough energy for another 10 years if you want!"
As things stand, Klopp – Liverpool's fourth-most successful manager ever in terms of overall silverware won (7 trophies) – is under contract with Liverpool until 2026, having signed an extension last year.
The Reds are next in action on Sunday, away to Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup – their triumph in which last season saw them complete the set of major trophies under Klopp (having won the League Cup three months earlier, the Premier League title in 2019/20, and the 2018/19 Champions League).
