Jurgen Klopp has admitted he was surprised by Roberto Firmino's decision to leave Liverpool but says the No.9 will remain totally committed until the end of the season.
It was revealed last week that Firmino will call time on a decorated eight-year spell on Merseyside when his contract expires later this year, despite Klopp and the club's best efforts to keep the Brazilian at Anfield beyond the summer.
Klopp says he fully respects Firmino's decision and revealed he has been told by the 31-year-old that he intends to end his stay with a flourish.
"Yes, he told me [he was leaving]," Klopp said. "Was I surprised? Yes, a little bit but I was not hit by the surprise, actually it’s a normal thing to do. It could go two ways and it was one and I respect that a lot.
"It’s completely normal in this kind of long relationship that we have and Bobby (Firmino) has with the club and with most of the players and stuff like this, and with the fans of course.
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"It’s pretty special and I loved the reception he got when he came on against United. He told me and then the only other thing he said is: ‘Now I want to bring this wonderful story to a positive end'. So, that’s it."
Klopp added: "He is completely here and completely committed, how everybody can imagine and that’s all we need to know. There’s no time for a goodbye or whatever in this moment, there’s enough time for that later in the season. Whenever he will come back, everybody knows that the song will still be for a long, long time in everybody’s ears I’m pretty sure. No problem.
"I think he’s one of these players that even when he would come with an opposition team, people would be really happy to see him."
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