Liverpool owner John W Henry hails 'extraordinary' Premier League champions in rare interview
Liverpool’s principal owner John W Henry offered heartfelt thanks to Jurgen Klopp as he reflected on an "extraordinary" and "emotional" 13 months littered with success.
The 2019-20 campaign saw the Reds follow up last season’s Champions League win with Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup glory, and then end a 30-year wait for the Premier League title.
And, in a rare interview with the club’s official website, the figurehead of ownership group Fenway Sports Group (FSG) paid tribute to the players and staff who made it happen.
“I could go on and on about Jurgen and how his heart is larger than his frame, how his enthusiasm affects all of us positively every day,” Henry said.
“But I think what is important is he is determined every day to do the right thing, whether it’s with regard to what happens on the pitch, whether it’s regard to nutrition for the club.
"He is just determined every day to do the right thing and that rubs off.
“He works every day with [FSG president] Mike Gordon and [sporting director] Michael Edwards, two people that I’ve met that have the strongest moral code you could imagine.
“It’s quite amazing to be involved with people on a day-to-day basis who are really talented and really committed to what they do. The fact that it’s the kind of people – Jurgen and Mike and Michael and [chairman] Tom [Werner] and [CEO] Peter [Moore]. It’s an extraordinary group.
“To the staff, to the players, to all of you who expended so much effort over these last two years, I just want to say thank you from all of us at Fenway Sports Group.
“I know you get this from the fans, I don’t know if you get it from us enough but we really appreciate everything you did this year, this last two years. Thank you.”
FSG’s 2010 takeover of Liverpool came amid the genuine threat of administration as a result of debts created by previous owners’ Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s leveraged buyout.
To have guided the club out of that financial mire and then on to a first title win in three decades is a a source of major pride for Henry.
“It was a long time coming,” he added. “Watching Jurgen get emotional made all of us emotional. It has been an emotional 10 years.
“Liverpool Football Club is a family and it’s really something extraordinary to be part of.
“I just want to say [to the supporters] that you’ve waited a long time for this and I know we all have to celebrate responsibly, but this really feels sort of like the gift that keeps on giving.
“Every day I get up, it’s front and centre that we won [in] England finally. So, that’s my wish for you, that every morning you get up for the next, as long as you can accomplish it, think about what we accomplished this year in Europe, England and I hope you feel as proud as I do.
“The fact that we are champions of England, champions of Europe, the Club World Cup, the Super Cup is just an extraordinary accomplishment by this organisation and by these players.
“To be involved with that, to have been a part of it has really been the capstone of my career and I think all of us who have been a part of Fenway Sports Group.”
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