Klopp Reminisces About Awkward Incident with Unrecognized Liverpool Player in Training

Klopp Reflects on His Early Days at Liverpool: A Humorous Anecdote Involving Brad Smith

As Jurgen Klopp prepares for his final game in charge of Liverpool, he has been reflecting on his memorable tenure at Anfield. Among the many anecdotes, one early moment stands out, highlighting the extensive list of players he has managed, some of whom have left a more lasting impression than others.

One such player, inherited from Brendan Rodgers, was so obscure that Klopp didn’t even recognize him during a first-team training session. Reflecting on this amusing incident, Klopp shared a story with The Telegraph that left him red-faced.

“We played in Sion on a frozen pitch,” Klopp recalled. “I learned a day before that we had Brad Smith, and he stood right next to me in training. It was too embarrassing to ask him who he was.”

The 0-0 draw against Sion in December 2015, when Liverpool had already secured progression from the Europa League group stage, is hardly among Klopp’s most celebrated matches. That game marked Smith’s third senior appearance for Liverpool and his first start. Despite the challenging conditions, BBC Sport named him player of the match for his impressive performance on the icy pitch in Switzerland.

Now 30, Australian Brad Smith went on to make a total of 11 appearances for Liverpool before transferring to Bournemouth the following summer. Since 2020, he has been playing in Major League Soccer, currently representing Houston Dynamo.

It’s understandable that Klopp, who had only recently taken over as Liverpool’s manager, might not have recognized every player when Smith was called into the senior squad for the Europa League fixture. Despite the initial mix-up, Klopp granted Smith all but one of his senior appearances for Liverpool.

This self-deprecating admission from Klopp offers a humorous glimpse into his early days at Anfield and underscores the vast number of players he has managed. While some names will fade, the impact Klopp has had on Liverpool and its players will be remembered for years to come.