Jurgen Klopp has defended Naby Keita's Liverpool career when paying tribute to the Guinean along with Roberto Firmino, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of the quartet's Anfield farewells on Saturday.
The club confirmed earlier this week that all four players will leave the Reds at the end of their contracts this summer. With this weekend's game against Aston Villa Liverpool's last home match of the season, it has also been confirmed that special acknowledgements will be paid to the quartet after the final whistle, with all four winning every major trophy on offer to them during their Anfield careers.
Firmino and Milner will depart with their status as beloved Reds legends already secure, having played more times for Klopp than any other players during the German's managerial career. However, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain have seen their own stints at Anfield often disrupted by injury.
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And when asked about the quartets' impending exits, Klopp asked supporters and media alike to ensure that Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain get the send-off they deserve, along with Firmino and Milner.
"It's super emotional because we really say goodbye to, from my point of view, four Liverpool legends," Klopp told reporters. "Because, two of them were here when I arrived. Milly and Bobby, obviously. Nothing would have happened, off all the good things that happened in the last few years, without them. That's clear.
"Ox came in pretty early then Naby came in. Ox was unlucky in moments. Injuries, bad injuries at absolutely the wrong moment. I remember the game against Roma when he got badly injured.
"I had no clue how to sort that situation, he was that good and pretty much irreplaceable in that moment. That was obviously all really hard. Besides that, a fantastic guy and was super important for the team over the whole period.
"When people think about Naby, they probably think a few too many injuries in the time as well. But, when you look back at important games, you will realise how often he played in super important games for us and how often he performed in these games.
"All four won pretty much each available trophy and we love them. That's true as well. But it's professional football. Nothing is forever, that's how it is. There is always a moment. It's a good moment because it means one chapter is closed, but we can start writing a new one. That's good as well, for them and for us.
"We will never forget them, 100%. I will be forever thankful to them because without them, nothing will have happened. They were all super important in all that they did and it is the farewell they deserve.
"It will be after the game. That's good. We can celebrate the boys after the game. Everybody should stay. It will be great, it will be absolutely emotional, 100%."
He continued: "No, we don't have enough time (to talk about the impact of Firmino and Milner). What I don't like as well, and I'm pretty sure Milly and Bobby wouldn't like it as well, is if we forget Ox and Naby.
"I would really like to ask all the people tomorrow to not forget that. I can imagine, Bobby, my god. How much I love the guy and he is getting the Bobby Firmino songs and stuff like this, 100% deserved. But we have time until Monday to give them all the farewell they deserve. That's really important.
"In the last seven and a half years, I don't know what I have said about Bobby and Milly, but if you don't know yet what I think about them, you just have to go back and read it! My English is not good enough to really express my respect for them.
"But that is the same for Ox and Naby to be honest! For different reasons. In the football world, we all talk about first line-ups and stuff like this.
"Milly played an incredible number of games, I think I am the manager he played most often for in this insane career. I don't think he will have a manager who he will play for more often so maybe I have won that race. Probably the same for Bobby.
"Ox came here as a young talent, for me. He was already settled at Arsenal, was a big talent and came here. Became a father, a grown-up man. A great character, a really good guy.
"Naby, everybody knows we spent a lot of money, there were a lot of expectations there of course. Because of injuries in the wrong moment, he could not fulfil all of them, but a lot of them. Go back and look at the big, big games. The goals he scored, the games he played, and the football he could play in his good moments.
"I wish them all the very best, that they all find a place where they are as respected as much as here and needed. And find their luck again, because they had a lot in the last few years and I hope they can do that again."
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