‘I see a different person now’: Jürgen Klopp on his long road at Liverpool

Jürgen Klopp claimed six and a half years at Liverpool had aged him, and that was before he became the Premier League’s longest-serving manager after Sean Dyche’s sacking on Friday. The intensity of a job that will be shaped by the finest margins over the coming weeks is the culprit but, far from hastening the end, this is what exhilarates him.

With one domestic trophy in the bag Liverpool turn their attentions to another on Saturday when returning to Wembley to renew acquaintances with Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final. Thoughts will then turn to a Premier League title race separated by one point, with Manchester United and Everton visiting Anfield next week, before Villarreal arrive in the Champions League semi-final. There is the odd complaint from Klopp – a 12.30pm kick-off scheduled at Newcastle between the Villarreal ties currently chief among them – but if this is a time that weathers the skin it also works wonders within. It could be a good moment for FSG to dangle a contract extension in front of him.

“Only recently I saw a picture of me in 2005,” said Klopp on Thursday, his FA Cup press conference brought forward 24 hours because Liverpool do not conduct usual media duties on the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. “I saw a picture of when I arrived here too [in October 2015]. Unfortunately I see myself in the mirror every morning so the last six years have been pretty intense. I see a different person now.

“Chelsea have had exactly the same programme as us recently, with the same amount of games because of the League Cup final, and Thomas [Tuchel] said it perfectly: it is really super-intense. But it’s good fun as well. I would love to have a full week to train. My God! Give me a full week of