Klopp glad that Gary Neville apologised for praising Manchester United fouls

Jürgen Klopp has said Gary Neville was right to apologise for wanting Hannibal Mejbri to kick Liverpool players during Manchester United’s chastening defeat at Anfield, insisting: “You cannot sort your own problems by hurting opposition players.”

Neville admitted he “erred on the slightly unprofessional side of commentary” when saying he was proud of the 19-year-old, an 84th-minute substitute in Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat, for fouling Jordan Henderson and Naby Keïta in quick succession, earning a booking for the former and a warning for the latter. The Liverpool manager believes that crossed a line.

“He had to apologise for that, rightly so,” said Klopp. “I understand where he is coming from. Obviously you want to see some aggression, but there is a difference between aggression and kicking players. Aggression in football means you are ready to hurt yourself, not the other one. I don’t blame the kid, he came on and the game was a bit quick, and he was a bit late here and there. It’s all good.

“Aggression in football is absolutely fine but you cannot sort your own problems by hurting the opposition players, that is what I have never understood. Of course things can happen in football, it is a high-speed game, but not these kind of things where you don’t care about another colleague who wants to play again in a few days time as well.”

Klopp claimed his call for players to “stay respectful” was not a dig at Everton, who visit Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool having lost Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcântara to serious injury at Goodison Park last season. He said: “All of a sudden it will be like: ‘Klopp wants Everton to do this.’ No I don’t. We are ready for each kind of challenge, just keep it within the big frame of rules and