Lovren: What it's like to play for Klopp the 'perfectionist'
Dejan Lovren has hailed Jürgen Klopp as a ‘perfectionist’ who inspires his players to strive to meet the high standards he sets.
This Saturday marks the first anniversary of Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool, with the last 12 months having been a whirlwind of highs featuring brilliant, thrilling wins over the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, and lows including two cup final defeats.
The Reds have made an encouraging start to the new season, with four consecutive Premier League wins before the international break lifting Klopp’s side to fourth in the table, just two points adrift of leaders City.
Results such as away wins over Arsenal and Chelsea and dominant Anfield victories against Leicester City and Hull City mean optimism is high around the club, and centre-back Lovren has offered an insight into how Klopp operates on a day-to-day basis.
“He is a perfectionist and so everyone wants to be like him,” the Croatia international told the Daily Express.
“You want to give perfection during training and give 100 per cent on the pitch. It is great to see how intense he is on the touchline.
“He is really emotional and shows that in every part of the game. There are a lot of things that I have learnt from him but he is not just a good manager, he is a good man.
“I will never forget he gave me a couple of days off when I had a problem with my daughter and she was ill and in hospital. She needed an operation.
“It was at the time of the Augsburg game away in February and he said to me, ‘Go to Croatia. Be with your daughter’. These things are big for a player. He showed his personality then.”