Who were the only two German players Jurgen Klopp used at Liverpool and what happened to them
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
It is going to be weird seeing Jurgen Klopp manage a team that is not Liverpool for the first time in over a decade.News broke on Friday that, after their poor 2026 World Cup, Germany have appointed Klopp as their head coach.He arrives as one of the most successful managers in recent memory, having won Liverpool their first-ever Premier League title and added another Champions League trophy to their collection.But throughout his impressive nine-year spell at Anfield, Klopp hardly ever turned to his home country to strengthen the Reds, with Emre Can and Loris Karius the only German players he used during his 334 games in charge. How excited are you to see Florian Wirtz playing under Jurgen Klopp for Germany?
Do you think Liverpool will benefit from the new link-up? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Markus Ulmer/GES Sportfoto Emre Can took Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League finalCan was already a Liverpool player before Klopp’s arrival in 2015, signing from Bayer Leverkusen the year prior.He ended up making 167 appearances on Merseyside, scoring 14 and assisting 10 while primarily being used as a midfielder and centre-back.The German departed Anfield on a free transfer for Juventus in 2018 and went on to win the Serie A on two occasions.The 32-year-old has since spent the last six years with one of Klopp’s former teams, Borussia Dortmund.Can captained BVB to the 2023/24 Champions League final, which they lost to Real Madrid.
More recently, though, he has been hamstrung by injury problems and was limited to just nine Bundesliga appearances last season.Photo by Jan Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty ImagesKarius, signed from Mainz in 2016, was the only German player Klopp actually brought to Liverpool during his time in charge.But after seeing how he performed in a red shirt, all parties will probably want to forget that.The goalkeeper made 49 appearances for Liverpool, but he was incredibly error-prone, including that harrowing display in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid.Klopp signed Alisson Becker to replace the German two months later, and he was quickly shipped off on loan to Besiktas.The 33-year-old was released by Liverpool in 2022 and, after a brief spell with Newcastle United, found his way to Schalke in January 2025.Back in Germany, the shot-stopper has gone on to feature on 35 occasions and keep 14 clean sheets.Schalke finished top of the 2. Bundesliga last term, meaning Karius is set to compete in the Bundesliga from 2026/27.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox