'Tears in my eyes' - Former Liverpool midfielder gives emotional reaction to Jurgen Klopp's announcement

Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has opened up on Jurgen Klopp's announcement last week, claiming it left him with 'tears in his eyes'.

Last week, the footballing world was shocked when Klopp revealed that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. In what was a hugely emotional moment, Reds fans everywhere were heartbroken, and the German boss could barely hold back his tears when 'You Never Walk Alone' rang out prior to kick-off against Norwich City over the weekend.

Ex-Liverpool players, managers and numerous other footballing figures have all paid tribute to Klopp and Keita is the latest to weigh in. Having left the club in the summer after five years at the club, the Werder Bremen midfielder revealed that he had was deeply emotional over the news.

"I’m not on the (social media) networks but when they told me, I had tears in my eyes," he told RMC Sport. "He took me to Liverpool as his son and I consider him my dad. I wish him the best for the rest of his life. I'll try to write to him afterwards. Such is life, I bumped into him and I wasn't disappointed. We got trophies."

Klopp brought Keita to Liverpool in 2018 from RB Leipzig after developing a strong reputation in Germany (he previously featured in the Bundesliga Team of the Year) and Liverpool didn't hesitate to shell out £52.75m to acquire his signing. However, despite Liverpool's success as a whole, Keita wasn't a key figure, making just 129 appearances across five seasons due to frequent injuries.

Unfortunately for Keita, his return to Germany has been proven difficult. An abductor injury, followed by a muscle injury and illness such as influenza has restricted him to just three appearances, totalling 80 minutes. Injuries are continuing to affect his career and it is unclear if he will ever be able to recreate the form that once had him touted as a future star.