Pep Lijnders details fight with Jurgen Klopp that left ex-Liverpool assistant 'really upset'
Ex-Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders was a loyal servant to Jurgen Klopp for the majority of the German's Anfield tenure, but they did fall out over at least one Reds player
Former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders says he "really fought" with Jurgen Klopp over promoting Conor Bradley to the Reds' first-team.
Northern Irish full-back Bradley had made five appearances for the Reds in cup competitions by the summer of 2022, and Lijnders was determined to add him to the first-team fold as cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However Klopp felt that the youngster needed a loan spell in order to further his development, and the Reds ultimately ended up sending him to Bolton Wanderers for the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign.
Lijnders was left furious with that decision, and says it formed one of his few rows with Klopp during their time spent working together, even if he knows Klopp doesn't dwell on it himself.
READ MORE: Liverpool declared CHAMPIONS already as fans offered chance to celebrate successREAD MORE: Liverpool star expected to make summer exit - 'It must be something that’s been talked about'"I remember that I really fought, proper fought, for Conor to be our No.2 behind Trent," says Lijnders in the new four-part documentary 'Doubters To Believers Liverpool FC: Klopp’s Era' which was released on Amazon Prime Video on Friday.
"I was really trying to keep him in the club because I believed that he would already be ready at that time.
"The club makes the decision together with Jurgen get him out on loan, and it really, really upset me a lot. There was hard, hard words and it was probably one of the only confrontations I had with Jurgen. He won't remember it anyway but I remember it."
Sure enough Klopp admits that he doesn't recall the interaction with Lijnders, who left Anfield along with the German boss last summer, joining Red Bull Salzburg as manager.
Bradley's loan spell at Bolton in League One would prove to be hugely successful, as he scored seven goals in 53 appearances, won the EFL Trophy and was voted as the club's player of the year.
Since his return to the Reds he's played 45 times for the club and has firmly established himself as the back-up to Alexander-Arnold at right-back. Things haven't gone as smoothly for Lijnders though, and he was sacked as Salzburg boss in December after just 29 games in charge of the Austrian club.
Doubters To Believers Liverpool FC: Klopp’s Era is available exclusively on Prime Video now
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