Jurgen Klopp was in the Anfield dugout again on Saturday afternoon. (Image: Getty)
Jay Spearing praised Jurgen Klopp’s excellence after the Liverpool Legends scored a fantastic goal against Borussia Dortmund Legends. On Saturday at Anfield, the iconic Reds of the previous era were held to a 2-2 stalemate by a great side from Dortmund.
The match was sponsored by the LFC Foundation and also marked Jurgen Klopp’s return to Anfield for the first time since the Reds won the Premier League trophy last season. And Spearing revealed the German made Sir Kenny Dalglish’s side feel like a million bucks before kick-off.
He said, “He was unbelievable. I think I was very lucky to work with him and see what he does day-to-day for the first 18 months after he came back.”
“But for him to come back, his enthusiasm, his love for this club, his love for our fans. He gave us that strength.
“We had a chat before we went out and it was incredible. It was so quiet and everyone was zooming in and listening to him that you could almost hear a pin drop.”
“And he made you feel a million dollars. We went there and the lads performed really well and it’s great to have him around.”
Thiago Alcantara opened the scoring for the Reds after six minutes, and Spearing extended his side’s lead with a powerful long-range shot just before the interval.
The strike surprised some of the 37-year-old’s colleagues, and Spearing was equally surprised, so much so that he took the game ball home.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to do because I don’t score many goals,” he admitted. “The shot came earlier and the crowd was yelling for me to take the shot, so I thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t my game.’
Jay Spearing was also one of the scorers in the match between Liverpool Legends and Dortmund Legends. (Image: Getty)
“And then when it fell on the edge of the box, I had a chance. I took it sweetly. It sounded good and thankfully it went into the top bin. As you can see, I won the ball and I’ll cherish this moment.”
Although Mohamed Zidane and Jan Koller have brought Dortmund to the same level, it’s still Gerrard and Thiago who shine, and Speerling admits he still feels trapped playing alongside such talented players.
“I’m in a very fortunate position right now where I’m just checking a box,” he said. “I’m a local lad, I love the club and I’m a Liverpool fan.
“To play a legendary game in front of over 60,000 people at Anfield, not only with Stevie G, who I played with, but also with Thiago – he’s an absolute master of football, right?”
“He was in an unbelievable pinch and I loved every minute of it. I wanted to win the game, but listen, we tied and we move on, as people say.”
The match was played in front of 60,000 people, making it the largest attendance ever for a Liverpool Legends match.
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