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Jurgen Klopp Names The Greatest Player He's Ever Managed In His Career

Jurgen Klopp Names The Greatest Player He's Ever Managed In His Career

Klopp has managed some world class talent at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Jurgen Klopp has named Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski as the greatest player he's managed in his career.

Klopp worked with Lewandowski during his time at Borussia Dortmund between 2010 and 2014, when the forward left for Bayern.

The Polish international has since gone on to become one of the finest strikers of his generation and the Bundesliga's second top-scorer ever.

In a recent interview with BILD, current Liverpool boss Klopp explained why Lewandowski still stands out above the rest.

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PA

He said: "Robert Lewandowski. It actually won't be fair to say that about any other player except Lewy [..] What he has made out of his potential, how he pushed himself to become the player he is today, that's extraordinary".

This season has seen Lewandowski continue his red hot 2020 and score 32 goals in just 24 Bundesliga games.

He netted the third in Bayern's last league game, a 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen away from home.

Lewandowski arrived at Dortmund as a 21-year-old and did initially struggle to get among the goals.

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PA

But a bet with then-manager Klopp saw his fortunes turn around an in turn, begin his development into the player we know today.

He stated in The Players' Tribune: "When I arrived I could barely speak a word of German. I knew danke. Thank you. I knew scheisse. The weather was rainy and grey. And with Klopp, the intensity in training was very, very high.

"I was desperate to make my mark, and Jurgen wanted to challenge me. So in the first few months we made a little bet. If I scored 10 goals in a training session, he'd give me 50 euros. If I didn't, I'd give him 50 euros.

"The first few weeks, I had to pay up almost every time. He was laughing. But after a few months, the tables turned. I was the one raking in the cash.

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PA


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PA

"So one day he said, "Stop! O.K.! That's enough. You're ready now.

"I could talk to Jurgen about anything. I could trust him. He is a family man, and he has so much empathy for what goes on in your private life.

He'd go on to bag 103 goals in 187 games for Dortmund, while winning two Bundesliga titles and reaching the 2013 Champions League final.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Football, Robert Lewandowski, Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp