Jurgen Klopp has changed TV adventurer Ben Fogle’s outlook on football after the unlikely pair shared an inspirational encounter.
The Liverpool manager invited Fogle along to the Reds’ summer training camp in Evian back in August as he sought to develop his players’ cognitive resilience and mental agility under pressure.
Klopp, who has long been an advocate of the importance of marginal gains, has previously called upon the services of a surfer to aid breathing exercises, a well-documented throw-in coach, neurological experts and top nutritionists.
While presenter and explorer Fogle offered insight into strengthening mindsets during an inspirational talk, Klopp provided his own words of wisdom in a mutually enlightening encounter.
Shedding light on their meeting, TV personality Fogle admitted the charismatic German has altered his stance on footballers and the demands placed on them by Premier League matches week-in week-out.
“It’s pretty random isn’t it?” revealed Fogle when discussing the unlikely link-up during an appearance on BBC’s The One Show on Monday night.
“Jurgen got in touch with me, we had a mutual friend and someone had come along to hear my show which is all about how I have tried to silence that inner voice of doubt we all have.
“I’ve had it ever since I was a child. That voice that goads you that you’re going to fail, you’re not going to win.
“I went out to their summer camp in Evian for a couple of days and it was amazing."
Fogle admitted: “I confessed to Jurgen at the beginning, I know nothing about football, I’m hopeless at football, I don’t even particularly enjoy football but do you know what? It changed my whole perspective on footballers and football.
“The skill, the art, the dedication, the teamwork that went into it.
“What I tried to do was bring some of my own experiences of the bigger expeditions I’ve done - climbing Everest or rowing across the Atlantic - and contextualise them in this sort of multi-mountain climb that footballers have throughout the season. Thirty-odd games, you win one but then you’re back on to the hamster wheel.”
The admiration clearly appeared mutual as Klopp lavished praise on the 47-year-old explorer whose expeditions have taken him all over the world and seen him overcome many gruelling challenges.
"I absolutely loved it! His expeditions are insane!" enthused Klopp when speaking to Sky Sports.
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"We're not saying we have the same challenges or that we're in life-threatening circumstances; the challenges are different of course but in many, many moments, we have to have the same mindset. We have to break through something, break down something, and when you might be thinking, 'No chance!', you have to be stubborn, resilient... all these qualities.
"What gives Ben the confidence to get through it is the preparation, the people he's working with. Without them, he said he'd have no chance of rowing the Atlantic. He told me he could make me row the Atlantic! I said, 'You don't know me, really, no chance!'.
"But you get really get a sense for what is possible out there, what crazy things happen on this planet because of an idea.
"Our idea was to be a really successful team and we are on our way. Nobody needed us or wanted us to be successful apart from our fans but we thought let's give it a try. That's how Ben thinks. He probably will not stop and we will not stop."
