Jurgen Klopp spoke to the press ahead of Liverpool’s match with West Ham on January 2nd and finally confirmed he was approached by West Ham to manage them but he turned them down because it was the wrong time.

“In the summer, I was not available. I’m sure I should say not too much about this, I am was sure I needed a few days to myself without thinking too much about football, thats what I did” Klopp said.

“I’m lucky I had a lot of interest, like all the clubs who approached me. If West Ham talk about this then I can do this. It is a good club, a really good club but it was the wrong time. Nothing to do with West Ham, When I think about West Ham I would think it is OK, the Hammers! (laughs), maybe it is more my second name than ‘soft’. It is like  I said before I was not available so I didn’t think too much about it”  

Klopp’s joke about soft came as former Hammers manager Sam Allardyce called Klopp a ‘soft’ German.

Earlier this week, West Ham Chairman David Sullivan confirmed he had approached Klopp but he had been knocked  back.  In an interview with Sky Sports News to promote his film the Fall of the Krays Sullivan said “We tried Klopp as well, he said at the time, he wouldn’t come as he needed a break. it’s wrong to name people really, we aimed very, very high but I am glad with the manager we have got”