One former Reds academy hopeful will be able to attest that during his tenure as manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp was never hesitant to make brutal judgments.
After making a harsh decision, Jurgen Klopp left Connor Randall, a former star of the Liverpool youth, feeling “embarrassed” and “ashamed.”
Under the former boss’s guidance, a number of young people faltered, but others, like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott, excelled. One of such is former Liverpool academy prospect Randall, who lost to Wolves in the FA Cup fourth round in 2017 as a result of a brutal decision made by Klopp.
Even though Divock Origi scored a late goal to make the score 2-1, Liverpool was already behind 2-0 at the half and was eliminated from the FA Cup by the side that had won the championship.
“I can remember it clear as day, going into the changing room and getting taken off,” the now 28-year-old reminisced during an appearance on the Football Journeys Podcast. I felt embarrassed as I stood there in the shower, maybe watching the game on the TV in the changing room.
“I felt ashamed, as though I was disappointing everyone, and other similar feelings. My family, friends, and all of the people who had come to watch me were upstairs, so naturally you went to talk to them and do whatever.
“I recall simply heading straight for the automobile. I was hiding in the back of the car with my hood up. Not that
“All I wanted was to return home, enter my house, and remain there. That night, I recall it clearly. When my sister, my small nephew, and others left, I simply went upstairs to bed and attempted to fall asleep—basically, I closed myself off from the world.
“To be honest, I did find it difficult. I probably brought that with me outside of sport as well, not only in football. The most common feeling is being semi-ashamed of yourself; you don’t want to go out because you fear that someone will see you and call you ‘that s*** player’ or anything.”
Following that game, Randall was unable to regain his place in the starting lineup, according to the Liverpool Echo. He was
The right-back acknowledged that even if he is currently enjoying his football, the pain of his early game withdrawal persisted for a long time. According to him, he held onto it for longer than he should have, and he allowed it to affect him in a manner that he would never do now.
It’s fantastic when you take the initiative and are given the chance, but mentally taxing as well. Simply put, it’s a whole other level of pressure that you have never encountered before.”