Liverpool players ‘were told this morning’ that Jurgen Klopp will leave at the end of the season after informing the Reds of his decision in NOVEMBER

Liverpool‘s squad were informed of Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Anfield at the end of the season on Friday morning, according to reports. 

Klopp announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the 2023-24 campaign earlier on Friday, claiming that he is ‘running out of energy’, in news that shook the sport. 

A number of figures have since paid tribute to the German’s tenure at Anfield, in which he won every single trophy available, with Jamie Carragher and Gary Lineker leading the way. 

While Klopp ruled out the possibility of ever managing another English club, he did leave his future under a cloud of uncertainty hinting he could retire for good. 

Although the rest of the football world have ben busy speculating who might replace him in the dugout, the players themselves will still be reeling from the news, which they learned earlier on Friday morning, according to the Telegraph.  

The German’s announcement on Friday sent shockwaves through the football world

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Furthermore, Klopp’s decision is thought to have been relayed to his employers as early as November. 

As a result they will have had plenty of time to find a replacement for the German, although that is still unlikely to have made their task any easier. 

Klopp will likely go down in history as one of the club’s best ever managers; he already ranks fourth for trophies won behind Bob Paisley (20), Bill Shankly (11) and Kenny Dalglish (nine) have lifted more silverware. 

He has also overseen both Liverpool’s biggest ever win over arch-nemesis Manchester United (7-0 at home) and their most comfortable winning margin at Old Trafford (5-0) – something Reds fans will remember long after his departure. 

Though a shock to the system for many, Klopp has evidently been considering his departure for some time, and admitted as much in his announcement. 

‘I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it,’ he began.

‘I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.

‘It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.

He won the clean sweep of every trophy available during his time in English football 

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is hotly tipped to succeed Klopp at Liverpool in summer

‘After the years we had together and after all the time we spent together and after all the things we went through together, the respect grew for you, the love grew for you and the least I owe you is the truth – and that is the truth.’

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is believed to be leading the race to succeed Klopp at the helm of the club. 

The Spanish World Cup winner has won widespread plaudits for his work in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, who are leading the title race ahead of Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich. 

Late last year, Alonso was being linked with three of his former clubs – Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich – amid rumours of a release clause in his Leverkusen contract.

That suggested Alonso could walk away from Leverkusen this year if any of the trio came knocking.

Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro denied the existence of such a clause but did admit Alonso could still leave. 

Asked whether the exit clause existed in November, Carro said: ‘No, but you don’t need a clause. We have a very, very good relationship with Xabi and he knows we are a serious club.

‘And at the end of the day, we’re not going to force someone to stay if he doesn’t want to stay.

The 56-year-old joined Liverpool in 2015 after leaving Dortmund and was tasked with overhauling an underachieving side

Klopp’s side are currently top of the Premier League 

‘We want him to feel so happy and so good with us that he really only wants to stay – and this is our objective.

‘There is nothing on paper [that would allow Alonso to leave for a former club]. But sometimes agreements that are not on paper are agreements as well.

‘We know if he needs to do a move in the future we will be able to talk with each other.

‘And I hope he will not need to do this because he will stay and be happy at Leverkusen.’