On the eve of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool exit, the manager has been a little more candid than usual.
As we’ve seen over the past nine years, Klopp is not exactly a guarded man at the best of times. But with just days remaining of his Liverpool tenure, the German has opened the box even more.
It’s going to be an incredibly emotional occasion at Anfield on Sunday, and Klopp will no doubt say a few words of thanks to the supporters.
But ahead of that dreaded day, the boss has been speaking to the press about his experiences at Liverpool.
And in one such interview with The Telegraph, Klopp has admitted that he had no clue who one of the players he inherited from Brendan Rodgers was.
Jurgen Klopp admits to Brad Smith confusion
The Liverpool squad that Klopp joined in 2015 is a million miles removed from the one he leaves.
There were some good players in amongst it, no doubt about that. But by and large, the team was full of those who weren’t quite up to standard.
Many of them weren’t exactly household names and, as a result, it’s no surprise to hear that Klopp was non-plussed by the sight of a couple of them.
The man in question on this occasion was left-back Brad Smith. Having joined the club from Australia as a 14-year-old, Smith had come through the Liverpool academy.
In 2015, the defender was a young 21-year-old trying to break into the first-team under Klopp. But although Jurgen did eventually give him a handful of games, he has admitted that he initially had no idea who Smith was or what he looked like.
“We played in Sion on a frozen pitch,” he says. “I learned a day before that we had Brad Smith and he stood right next to me in training and it was too embarrassing to ask him who he was.”
Where is Brad Smith playing now
Some Liverpool fans may not even recall Smith playing for the club. But in all honesty he did a decent job in those early days of Klopp’s reign.
Despite that, it was relatively clear that the Australian would not be good enough to make the grade at Anfield.
So, after 10 appearances for the Reds, Smith left for Bournemouth in 2016. Having failed to break into the side at Dean Court, the defender had loan spells at Seattle Sounders and Cardiff City before joining the American side permanently in 2020.
From there, he joined DC United in2022 but was let-go by Wayne Rooney after just a year. Finally, Smith headed back to Australia where he still plays for Houston Dynamo. With 23 senior Australia caps, he’s had a decent career.
It may be disappointing for Smith to hear that Klopp didn’t know who he was. But the fact that the German remembers him all these years later should hopefully ease the blow.