Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp texted Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams after the UCL semi-final win against Villarreal
While speaking in an interview with Sky Sports News, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that right after beating Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final, he texted Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams to thank them for their contributions last season.
The Reds suffered a horrible injury crisis last season when the core of their central defensive roster was put out of action. Not having Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez largely affected the Reds’ season as they fell apart in the early months of 2021.
Liverpool finished third,17 points behind league leaders Manchester City. It was a poor display from the standards Jurgen Klopp’s team have achieved the previous couple of seasons. They weren’t much away from 5th placed Leicester City in the points table and could have ended up in the Europa League had results gone another way.
In the absence of the senior players, Jurgen Klopp was pushed to use Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams as his first choice center-backs during the second half of the season. The youngsters stepped up at that time and defended with heart and determination, eventually making the difference.
In a recent interview, Jurgen Klopp revealed that after beating Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final, he sent a bunch of texts to certain people. After sending a message to his wife, the German manager wrote a thank you letter to Phillips and Williams for their efforts.
“I messaged Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips because we wouldn’t be there without them. I remember the final game of last season and they left the pitch with a bandage around the head, cuts on their faces, and that was really a symbol for the whole period,”
The former Dortmund manager even suggested how difficult it was for Liverpool to get through the season and how important it was for their Champions League campaign this season.
“We went through on one leg, with one eye… it was incredible. It was such a tough season. Hopefully, nobody forgot how hard we fought to get here. We felt it mentally. The public wasn’t shy of telling us that we underperformed and all these kind of things.”
Williams and Phillips were young and inexperienced players who were expected to be the backup defenders in the Liverpool team. However, when the crisis happened they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and helped the Reds salvage the season.
Liverpool under Klopp have operated stupendously as a team. Even though there are some star players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Virgil van Dijk, they haven’t been entirely dependable on individual brilliance and that’s a remarkable achievement.
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Because of such team performance Liverpool have come to a great distance in this campaign and have found themselves on the edge of making history. If they secure the Champions League title this term then all the perseverance and hard work of all the individuals involved would pay off.
The last season’s performances have also ensured an emphatic stature for the young players. Even though they left the club in search of better game time, they have done their reputations no harm thanks to some standout performances when needed.
