Next manager odds for Liverpool in 2015 before Klopp – including TWO Everton bosses

I'm not crying, you're crying.

In a video statement posted by the club on Friday, the 56-year-old revealed that he is to call time on his tenure at Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The German admitted he was 'running out of energy' in the club's official announcement, but called on fans to 'make a strength' of the news for the remainder of the season, as Liverpool compete for four trophies.

He told supporters: "Let’s now really go for it. The outside world want to use this decision, laugh about it, want to disturb us. We are Liverpool, we went through harder things together. And you went through harder things before me.

"Let’s make a strength of it. That would be really cool. Let’s squeeze everything out of this season and have another thing to smile about when we look back in the future. Thank you."

In addition to Klopp, a number of senior coaching and backroom figures, including Pep Lijnders and Jorg Schmadtke, are also set for exits.

We're now in unprecedented territory, with a managerial change this big not seen in the Premier League since Arsene Wenger left Arsenal in 2018.

Currently the Premier League's longest-serving manager, only three men have managed more games for Liverpool than Klopp, who has not only brought sustained success and trophies to Merseyside, but has formed a deep connection with the club and the local community that is all too rare in modern-day, elite-level football.

It's been a hell of a ride over the last eight years.

While speculation rages over who will succeed as the next man in the dugout, perhaps one of the greatest examples of how far the club has come under Klopp is to look back at the next manager odds before the former Dortmund boss was appointed at Anfield in October 2015.

Sky Sports Twitter account posted next manager odds to succeed Brendan Rodgers for the Liverpool job back on 4 October – just four days before Klopp was officially confirmed.

While the German was known as the clear frontrunner, some of the other names in the mix make for surprise reading in the year 2024.

After Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti was given the next shortest odds (5/1). The Italian was out of work at the time, having left Real Madrid at the end of the previous season. He would soon find a new home at Bayern Munich and is now, of course, back in the Spanish capital in his second stint at Los Blancos, having managed Napoli and Everton (remember that?) in between.

Next down is fellow Italian Walter Mazzarri (8/1).

The current Napoli manager was also unemployed at the time and just half a season removed from taking over at Watford, where he departed after just 41 games and a 29.27 win percentage.

Frank De Boer – years before Jose Mourinho would describe him as the worst manager in the history of the Premier League – was given 10/1 odds, while future Everton boss Ronald Koeman was at 20/1.

The longest odds (25/1) were given to Diego Simeone. The manager of Atletico Madrid is – along with Ancelotti – the manager with the most sustained success, since 2015. However, Liverpool fans can be very happy the club ultimately went for Klopp, who fit the brief both tactically and culturally.

Though not on Sky's shortlist, other sources even had then Swansea manager Garry Monk as a possible option for the Reds.

After a strong start to his management career in the Premier League, the former centre back has faded – last taking charge of Sheffield Wednesday in the 2019/20 season.

None of the names mentioned in 2015 are likely to be on the shortlist in 2024, with former midfielder Xabi Alonso the early frontrunner for the top job. Some bookies have the Spaniard's odds of being the next man in the dugout as short as 1/2.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi (shortest odds at time of writing: 17/2) is widely placed as the next most likely, ahead of Pep Lijnders (6/1) – whose exit announcement has apparently not ended speculation he could still take over the top job.