Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has backed the newly-crowned Premier League champions to enjoy a period of “sustained success” under boss Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool won their first league title for the first time in 30 years on Thursday after Manchester City’s defeat at Chelsea sealed the title for the Reds.
Werner, part of the US-based Fenway Sports Group that owns Liverpool, believes the winning mentality created by Klopp since he took charge in 2015 will keep the team hungry for more success next season.
Liverpool also clinched the Club World Cup in December and were Champions League winners last season, but Werner is confident the good times are not over yet. “We want to undersell and overdeliver. We hopefully would be ensuring another period of sustained success,” Werner told Liverpool’s website on Saturday.
“The competition is fierce and I know our rivals are working tirelessly to upend us. But we’ve got such talent in place as Jurgen, as Michael [Edwards, sporting director] and the team on the pitch.
“One of the things that stuck with me this year was their hunger for winning. I don’t think that will be diminished. They’re such a good group of players. I have such fondness for them as individuals off the pitch. They’re humble, they’re kind, they enjoy each other’s company. You could see that in the videos when they were all celebrating.
“It’s a lot to ask them to stay at this extraordinary level but it is our goal to continue to play with this quality.”
Werner heaped praise on Klopp for rescuing Liverpool from mediocrity, but stopped short of rating the German alongside the club’s iconic former managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
“I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing or watching the great football of [Bill] Shankly and [Bob] Paisley, so I don’t really want to compare Jurgen to previous managers,” said Werner, who has been chairman of the Merseyside club since 2010.
“I just know that the league is extremely competitive and when we first became involved in Liverpool over 10 years ago, we were not even thinking about winning the league. Our dream was to just become top four and make it to the Champions League.
“He has just created such an atmosphere at Liverpool that there’s no alternative except to win. He has created such an atmosphere. One of the things that I’m just joyful about whenever I watch the team is how many players contribute.”