Klopp on proposed Kirkby redevelopment

Liverpool announced joint plans with Knowsley Metropolitian Borough Council on Wednesday that would see the club's first team and Academy football training operations brought together in one location.

Should the proposal get the go-ahead, the Reds' senior side's base would move from Melwood to Kirkby, and Klopp was asked for his view on the plans in his press conference on Friday afternoon.

“Well it’s not too easy to say what the exact standpoint is in this moment, but that we’d planned it was not a secret,” said the manager.

“How I think, and I’ve probably said it a few times, I love Melwood, I really love being here, but football changes and everything will be bigger. We cannot avoid this, you cannot stay like you always were and hope you can cope with the other teams, so sometimes you have to set standards. It’s really good that our owners have given us the opportunity to make this big step in the future. 

“I think 25 years ago or something, Melwood set the level [but] in these 25 years a lot of things happened and this is fantastic, but we have no space for anything. If we want to have one more office, we don’t know where to go - that’s the situation.

“One point is of course bringing the Academy and first team together, and to improve a lot of other things which we couldn’t improve here is another target. 

“So it’s only good for the club and the future of the club, I really believe that the infrastructure keeps responsibility up and helps. If we stay here for the next 25 years I am sure it is not good for the club, so in this moment we have obviously the idea and the opportunity to do something.

“We have to wait for when we can say we’ve made the next steps, and know exactly when we can start, but we thought already a lot about it and we will think about it. When we can start, we’ll inform you immediately.”

LFCTV GO: Watch Klopp's pre-Leicester press conference in full