Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Liverpool Echo

Sport

Theo Squires

Six Liverpool players can't touch 'This is Anfield' sign despite Wout Weghorst controversy

Liverpool Wout Weghorst Anfield (Geopolitical Entity) Jurgen Klopp Arthur Melo Calvin Ramsay Manchester United Cody Gakpo Stefan Bajcetic Virgil van Dijk

Wout Weghorst caused controversy after he was caught touching Liverpool’s famous ‘This is Anfield’ sign when walking out ahead of Manchester United’s 7-0 thrashing last Sunday.

Some Red Devils fans were unhappy, not aided by the fact that old quotes from the Dutchman re-emerged following the incident that suggested he was a boyhood Liverpool fan and wanted to play for the Reds.

"I've dreamt of (playing for Liverpool) since childhood,” he told De Telegraaf in 2018. “If I continue to train with full commitment, I think that opportunity will come.

"Of course, something like that depends on several factors. You have to stay fit and a coach and club must see it in you, but apart from that you can create many things in life for yourself."

Meanwhile, he told Goal in 2020: "I always found Liverpool very special. I still get goosebumps from ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.”

Weghorst would dispute such claims following supporter backlash, and took to social media to claim that he only touched the sign in an attempt to wind up compatriot Virgil van Dijk.

“Normally I never react on media topics, but for this one, it's worth it because you amazing United fans are important to me,” he wrote. “So I just want to clarify the video that is doing the rounds.

"From the national team, I know that Virgil always touches that sign and I went to stop him touching it to try and wind him up before the game. As a child I always supported FC Twente, and as a proud player now for Manchester United, my dedication to this incredible club can never be questioned."

Footage of the incident would perhaps support Weghorst’s claim, with the Dutch striker walking out alongside Van Dijk and seemingly moving for the Liverpool man’s hand when touching the sign himself. Yet, understandably, supporters still found his explanation hard to believe.

Whether you believe Weghorst or not, the sight of a Manchester United player touching their bitter rival’s iconic signage before a 7-0 thrashing still doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

And, from a Liverpool point of view, the striker has actually done something of their own players aren’t even allowed to do after ‘breaking’ Jurgen Klopp’s golden rule.

Back in 2016, the German would reveal that he had ‘banned’ his players from touching the sign until they had won a trophy for the Reds.

“I’ve told my players not to touch the ‘This Is Anfield’ sign until they win something!" He said. "It's a sign of respect. I touched it when I was manager of Borussia Dortmund but we lost 4-0."

Of course, most of the Liverpool squad are now free to touch the sign, given the fact that the Reds have won every major trophy on offer to them since 2018/19, and have suffered only one trophyless campaign since then.

And while summer signings Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho both won a trophy in their first game for the Reds, defeating Man City in the Community Shield back back in July, if you count such ‘lesser’ silverware, a number of Klopp’s ranks are yet to win a trophy for the club and are left ‘forbidden’ from touching the ‘This is Anfield’ sign as a result.

The most obvious example is January signing Cody Gakpo, though he has already broken Klopp’s rule himself. Not involved in the Community Shield, summer arrivals Calvin Ramsay and loanee Arthur Melo are yet to win anything for Liverpool either so remain ‘banned’ as a result.

Elsewhere, Stefan Bajcetic also hasn’t won any silverware after breaking into the first team this season, while Rhys Williams hasn’t contributed to any Reds trophy win either with all 19 of his appearances for the club coming in the trophyless 2020/21 campaign.

And finally, Nat Phillips technically hasn’t won a trophy for Liverpool yet either, having joined AFC Bournemouth on loan in January 2022 prior to last year’s League Cup success after featuring in the fourth round victory over Preston North End.

On the verge of Champions League elimination, the Reds are extremely unlikely to win any further silverware this season. And even if they did pull off an unlikely round-of-16 comeback against Real Madrid, Arthur and Ramsay aren’t eligible to feature regardless after being left out of Klopp’s squad.

As a result, the Brazilian is set to return to Juventus at the end of the season without a winner's medal and without being allowed to touch the ‘This is Anfield’ sign. But the likes of Gakpo, Bajcetic, and Ramsay will be hopeful they can quickly end their trophy drought next season and fall on the right side of Klopp’s ‘golden rule’ as a result.

READ NEXT