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Klopp has already achieved more than Guardiola in England - Collymore
The former Anfield favourite has expressed his belief that the Liverpool manager's recent success puts him above his Manchester City counterpart
Jurgen Klopp has already achieved more than Pep Guardiola in English football, according to Stan Collymore.
Guardiola inherited the managerial reigns at Manchester City in 2016, and has since delivered eight major trophies, including back-to-back Premier League titles.
The Spaniard is widely revered as the finest manager of his generation, having also won numerous titles at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but he has always benefitted from strong financial backing in the transfer market.
Klopp arrived in England with a similarly sterling reputation in 2015, after guiding Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga crowns, and he quickly set about stamping his own mark on a Liverpool squad devoid of confidence.
The German head coach has gradually affected significant change on a limited budget over the last five years, overcoming early growing pains to create a side which is now considered to be among the strongest in Europe.
Liverpool won the Champions League last season, and look set to add an elusive Premier League title to their trophy cabinet this summer, with Klopp credited for being the mastermind in their ascent to the top.
Collymore says the Reds boss has had a greater impact at Anfield than Guardiola has had at Etihad Stadium, and that he is well on his way to earning a place in English football's hall of fame.
The former Liverpool striker wrote in his latest column for The Mirror: "If Jurgen Klopp carries on like this he will go down as one of the all-time great managers – not just at Liverpool but in English football history.
"His buying and building of a team, his management of his players, his demeanour and his achievements are first class.
"And if he can back up last season’s European Cup win, and this season’s Super Cup, Club World Cup and Premier League triumphs with two or three more titles, maybe another Champions League and a domestic cup or two, then he will quite rightly be talked about in the same breath as Sir Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly, Brian Clough, Bob Paisley, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
“In terms of what he has achieved in England, I’d even put Klopp ahead of Guardiola now. Manchester City were already four, five or six years into a project when Guardiola arrived at the Etihad, whereas Klopp pretty much had a standing start at Anfield by comparison.
“I know some people will point to the £75 million-plus Klopp splurged on Virgil van Dijk and £56 million on Alisson. But others have spent those sorts of sums several times over without the return Klopp is enjoying.”
