Jurgen Klopp has described Scotland as a “cool place to explore” after a series of deals that have benefited Liverpool, including two more this summer.
In order to find an edge over their competition while still operating on a self-sufficient model, the Reds have been forced to explore other markets in recent years.
One of these has been Scotland, with Liverpool joining other clubs across Europe in tapping into the goldmine of talent north of the border, with Andy Robertson serving as a figurehead for a new generation.
This summer, left-back Aaron Hickey joined Brentford after a two-year spell with Bologna in Serie A, having initially made the jump from Hearts in 2018.
Bologna, in fact, had targeted Calvin Ramsay ahead of his summer move to Liverpool, with Sassuolo also among the right-back’s suitors ahead of a £6.5m transfer.
Joining Ramsay in the Scotland-for-Merseyside swap was teenage winger Ben Doak, who joined Celtic’s academy ranks in a deal worth £600,000, making an immediate impact on England’s under-18s. the Reds.
And speaking ahead of the first competitive clash between Liverpool and Rangers on Tuesday night, Klopp hailed the nation as a “cool place to explore again”.
“Obviously we have, with Calvin, another Scottish boy here, just back from injury, and in the U18s another great talent. [in Doak]”, he told reporters.
“It’s great, it’s a great place to explore again. It’s a good sign for Scottish football.
“They may be disappointed that they’re not in Scotland yet, but to be honest with these two dominant teams, we all know that if a player is really developing, it’s not unlikely that he’ll at least try in the Premier League or whatever. be. .
“But it’s definitely a much better time than four or five years ago, and that depends on the players you have.”
Liverpool, despite their recent woes, are widely regarded as the favorites for their third Group A game, but Rangers should not be underestimated.
Klopp, who explained that he followed the Glasgow club closely with Steven Gerrard, praised the progress seen in their run to the Europa League final last year.
“Rangers and Celtic are obviously the top teams in the league, that’s nothing new, but the best sign you can get is how they’re doing in Europe,” he said.
“Rangers’ performance last year in the Europa League was exceptional.
“I watched the games against Dortmund for example, it’s really good, especially the home game, you can see how the atmosphere can really give you an advantage in the game.
“That was really impressive. Obviously Celtic are also doing very, very well. The Scottish team is full of talent.”
