Lucas Leiva sensed Klopp’s Liverpool transformation was coming before trophies arrived

Lucas Leiva says he recognised the beginnings of a major change at Liverpool soon after Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield, well before the German manager turned the club into one of Europe’s leading sides.

The former Liverpool midfielder was speaking to IOL Sport at the opening of the first Liverpool FC store in KwaZulu-Natal, at Gateway in Umhlanga, this week. He reflected on the influence Klopp had during the two seasons they worked together.

Klopp took charge of Liverpool in October 2015, with Lucas leaving the club in 2017 after a decade at Anfield. The Brazilian, who is now a Liverpool ambassador, had played under five managers during his time at the club and experienced the uncertainty caused by frequent changes in leadership.

He believes Klopp brought a clear identity, stronger belief and a different approach to the club.

“The arrival of Klopp was a game changer, not just his quality as a manager but the leadership as well and the values that he brought with him,” he said.

“He believed in how he does things and I was with him for two years and I could tell something special was coming and things were turning for the better, so I’m glad I was able to work with him and see the different direction.”

Klopp’s subsequent record at Liverpool confirmed Lucas’ early impression. During almost nine years in charge, he led the club to seven major trophies.

Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League in 2019, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup later that year. The Premier League title arrived in 2020, before the FA Cup and League Cup were secured in 2022, along with the Community Shield.

Klopp’s tenure also helped establish a winning culture that had been absent for much of the period before his appointment, while Liverpool became a consistent force at the highest level of European football.

Lucas joined Liverpool in 2007 and remained until 2017, making Klopp’s arrival especially significant in the context of the managerial turnover he had witnessed.

“I played under five managers, which is not normal at Liverpool, but he came and now the club is even bigger than it was before,” Lucas said.

Klopp left Liverpool in 2024 as one of the most successful managers in the club’s history. Although Lucas departed before the biggest successes of the German’s reign, he had already seen the foundations of the transformation being laid.

He witnessed Klopp arrive, impose his values and begin to shift Liverpool towards a new direction – one that would eventually produce a sustained period of success.