Jurgen Klopp paid his own poignant tribute to the late Roger Hunt on Tuesday by suggesting the forward would have been a perfect fit for the Liverpool side of today.
Hunt scored 285 times in 492 appearances for the Reds between 1959 and 1969, while also making his name as part of the World Cup-winning England side in 1966.
The Lancashire-born forward, who passed away on Sunday, won two league titles and an FA Cup under legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, and gained plaudits for his relentless energy, something Klopp reckoned would have made him an asset to a coach in any era.
Klopp said: “To be the goalscoring catalyst of the Shankly team to actually achieve promotion and then go on to win those precious league titles and the FA Cup puts him in a bracket of LFC legends who are responsible for making us the club we are today. Not only that, he was also a World Cup winner in 1966, too.
“I am told the Kop christened him ‘Sir Roger’ for all his achievements. A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his teammates; I believe he would have fit in well within our current team.
“So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days.”
A tireless grafter who pressed before we had a name for it
By Kevin Garside, i‘s chief sports correspondent
It is far too trite to make the goals scored by Liverpool a tribute to the death of Roger Hunt. They owed too much to calamitous Porto defending for that. Nevertheless, this was a performance on a far-flung European field that in its own sweet way connected the present with a past that Hunt did so much to shape.
Hunt’s total of 285 goals in 492 matches helped lay the foundations for the club’s rise from the Second Division to the game’s summit. Only Ian Rush has scored more for the club, which gives some indication of his quality to the many who will never have seen him play.
Liverpool wore black armbands to mark his passing at 83. Jurgen Klopp did Hunt the honour of awarding him a notional place in today’s team. He was right. Hunt, a tireless grafter who pressed before we had a name for it, would have been a certain starter. He was quick, built like a middleweight and gave the ball a heck of a belt.
His death six months after his Anfield strike partner Ian St John would not have registered with the Super Dragoes in the curva behind the goal but he will get his heartfelt due on Sunday when Liverpool host champions Manchester City.
Klopp added: “It’s really sad news and our thoughts and our love go to his family.”
“Unfortunately, it feels too frequent in this moment we are saying farewell to these giants of our club.
“Roger Hunt comes second to no one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3ihM6Iy
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