Rodgers explains why he wants Klopp to succeed at Liverpool

Matt Stead

Brendan Rodgers wants Jurgen Klopp to stay at Liverpool “as long as possible” – because he is still paying him rent.

Klopp replaced Rodgers as Liverpool manager in October 2015, and looks capable of ending the club’s 28-year wait to win a league title.

Rodgers came close in the 2013/14 season before falling at one of the final hurdles to Manchester City, who are Liverpool’s biggest obstacle to the Premier League crown four years on.

Klopp’s side are five points behind with a game in hand after 14 matches, and Rodgers is backing his successor to triumph where he could not quite.

“I want to see them do well, of course,” he told the Mail on Sunday.

“For the supporters, it would be brilliant. When you think how close we got that time, it became really emotional in that last five games and to go that close and not to win it was tough.

“I look more from a distance now. They will go close. Jurgen Klopp has done a fantastic job and invested well.

When asked whether it was only human to want your successor to fail, or at least not do as well, Rodgers replied: “It’s only human to ask.

“But Jurgen rents my house. I want him to be there as long as possible.”