Jurgen Klopp has admitted he does not ‘need’ Manchester City to give his Liverpool side a guard of honour when they meet on Thursday night.

Liverpool wrapped up the title a week ago when City lost against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Pep Guardiola has confirmed his side will give the new champions the traditional welcome.

But Klopp himself has insisted Liverpool will not just be going to the Etihad to celebrate their recent success – as he is desperate to pick up three points.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Klopp admitted: ‘I’m not sure if I’ve ever had one. It was a long time ago in Germany. I don’t know if it’s a tradition in Germany. It’s a nice gesture – 100 per cent.

‘I don’t need it, to be honest. We go there to play a football game and win a football game.

‘We don’t celebrate a thing that happened a week before.’

Klopp and his players can expect a guard of honour in each of their remaining seven games, although that is yet to be confirmed. They have wrapped up the title at the earliest juncture ever, as they are 23 points clear of City.

Klopp’s comments follow former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy slamming the tradition as ‘nonsense’ and then apologising for a ‘poor choice of wording’.

On TalkSport earlier this week, he said: ‘It’s a perception of respect, the right thing to do, the message you’re trying to send to the football world that when somebody wins, that you show respect and grace.

‘The fact City will be doing it on Thursday will show humility, saying “well done” to Liverpool and appreciation for their quality. I think it’s a load of nonsense.

‘I don’t know where it started and why it started, I would feel uncomfortable doing it. I’d do it because you have to do it, but I wouldn’t want to do it, because it’s not done with sincerity.

‘If I was a Liverpool player and United won the league, you know they’re better than you, you respect that and you’re trying your best to be like them, so they know you respect them.

‘The fans don’t want you to do it, the players don’t really want to do it, it’s all for effect and it doesn’t mean anything.

‘Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfielder, probably, in the world, and he’s clapping his hands and giving a guard of honour to players who can’t even lace his boots.’

But he backtracked in a post in Instagram after facing criticism, writing: ‘Yesterday on @talksport discussing the concept of the guard of honour I used a poor choice of wording which I apologise for in relation to @liverpoolfc midfield.

‘Just to clarify I have nothing but admiration and respect for all the LFC players and their incredible achievements over the last 2 years.

‘I would hate for a misplaced throwaway phrase which wasn’t thought through to imply anything otherwise. I of course don’t always get it right when doing live tv and radio but will always hold my hands up and apologise when I don’t.’

source:- allfootballapp