'Big reputation': Coach feels Liverpool are eager for RETURN of Klopp favourite

Arne Slot’s former manager feels Liverpool are already eager for a return at the club. Whether that happens under Slot is unclear, however.

Liverpool are doing their due diligence on Arne Slot as they prepare to appoint the Feyenoord boss as Jurgen Klopp's successor. Part of that meant bringing in Henk De Jong for talks.

De Jong is a former manager of Cambuur in the Netherlands. Importantly, it was at Cambuur where Slot got his big break. At first, that was as an assistant to De Jong but he eventually succeeded the manager in an interim role.

Liverpool clearly wanted to hear what De Jong had to say about his former assistant. But that clearly wasn't the only topic of conversation.

De Jong told the Mirror that he sensed there was a 'big reputation' for Pep Lijnders at the club. Lijnders will leave this summer with Klopp as he looks to forge his own career in management.

But De Jong feels Liverpool are already eager to see him return to the club

"Pep Lijnders is not staying, but I sensed everyone at Liverpool is hoping Pep will come back to the club one day," he said.

“They all spoke very highly about him and I really think he has built a big reputation for himself."

Pep Lijnders to return?

Lijnders certainly has a big reputation at Anfield. Big enough that several reports initially had him in the running to succeed Klopp.

The German is a huge fan of his assistant, too, having worked with him closely over the years.

But what are the chances of a return? It can happen in two ways, really. Lijnders could ultimately decide that management isn't for him and want a return to coaching - Liverpool would almost certainly want him back in that scenario.

Then there's the more outlandish one - that Lijnders absolutely flies as a manager and ends up in the Reds' hotseat. That one has a long way to run before it's realistic, however.