“Amazing what they’ve done” - Rio Ferdinand explains how Liverpool have had continued success under Jurgen Klopp
Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on Liverpool's player recruitment since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds are on the verge of their third Champions League final in five years following a convincing 2-0 victory against Villarreal at Anfield in the first leg of their last four clash.
Liverpool's total dominance over Villarreal earns them a two-goal advantage ahead of next week's second leg.
Jurgen Klopp's side have one foot in the #UCL final.
#LFC | #LIVVIL https://t.co/2Ho2vfMRwT
Liverpool are still in contention to win an unprecedented quadruple this season, and Manchester United legend Ferdinand lauded the club after the full-time whistle. The former England defender told BT Sport, as per Anfield Watch:
"The recruitment, it's amazing what they've done. They don't get many wrong. The important part is when players come through the door here, they improve."
Since Klopp's arrival in 2015, the Merseyside club have gone from a team regularly finishing outside the top four to becoming one of the most feared sides in European football.
With the exception of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson, every Liverpool starter against Villarreal was signed by Klopp. The club's most notable incomings in recent times include Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, who although both appeared to be expensive buys at the time, have gone on to become legends of the Kop.
The six-time European champions have also managed to build some incredible squad-depth, with their most recent addition being 25-year-old forward Luis Diaz arriving from Porto in January. The Colombian has made an incredible start to his Anfield career, and has forced his way into Klopp's first-choice front three.
"I'm enjoying my time here for sure!" 🤩
#LFC boss Jurgen Klopp and Thiago have been speaking after their 2-0 win over Villarreal in the #UCL semi-final first leg at Anfield 🔴 https://t.co/DhEvhIvWsh
Klopp pleased with Liverpool's first leg Champions League victory
Following the full-time whistle, the German boss praised his side's performance against the La Liga outfit, but insisted the job was not yet done.
Speaking to BT Sport, as per BBC Sport, the 54-year-old said:
"It was a brilliant game. First half I liked a lot. We didn't score, that is the only problem actually. But we kept them quiet, which is important because of the attacking threat that they are. We tried to create, tried to be direct, mix it up, all these kind of things, play through the lines, over the lines.
"We had a lot of good moments, no goals, true. In the second half we finished the situations off in a superb way. Both goals were outstanding. We wanted to score a third but from that moment on it makes sense that we control the game and that is what we did.
I've been supporting Liverpool since I was 5 years old and obsessed with the sport for over 35 years.
I've never enjoyed football as much as I am at the moment. It feels like we're in a cup final every three days.
Danke, Herr Klopp.