Liverpool’s overseas fans make a pilgrimage to Jürgen Klopp – tears, luck and 8,400km

The reality that Jürgen Klopp is truly leaving Liverpool is only now starting to sink in. Fans across the globe will have been wowed by countless montages, memories and interviews by now – and a lucky few will have the chance to say goodbye in person at Anfield.

For Liverpool fans overseas, and especially in the US, every trip to Anfield is a pilgrimage. Some make the long journey just to enjoy the atmosphere or take the stadium tour. But a few of them will now have the opportunity to witness Klopp’s final farewell, a historic moment in the club’s history.

Other than understandable jealousy, you certainly couldn’t mistake their presence. In the form of Mark Kastner, I thought I would have found the fan making the longest journey – it will be at the Wolves game after traveling more than 5000 km from St Paul, Minnesota.

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A fan for more than 20 years, Kastner is one of countless examples of a ‘converted’ Liverpool supporter put on the road to Anfield by a Scouse missionary.

“While I was at school as a kid, there was another kid from Liverpool that I befriended, and it honestly didn’t give me a choice who I supported,” Kastner explained. “He told me I was a Liverpool fan and I have been ever since!”

Decades later, that led to the trip of a lifetime. It will be a little different than the usual viewing experience for a US fan.

“I usually watch either at home or with a small group of friends at a local bar in town,” Kastner told me. “I recently moved to the twin cities of Seattle, WA, so Liverpool was a really good excuse to get out and meet people.

“Despite the Premier League’s growing popularity in the United States, it’s still outclassed by other American sports leagues, so when people find out I sometimes go to a bar for a 9am game, I get some funny looks!”

Like Kastner, American fan Ryan Hurley found out he had a ticket recently. And hailing from Monterey, California, he takes the crown for traveling the furthest, making the 8,400km journey to Liverpool to say goodbye to Klopp.

“I felt sure we were going to have a parade,” Hurley recounts. “So I’m booking a ticket for this weekend. I didn’t expect a ticket to the game.

“I just wanted to be there. I wanted to be in that number.

“As we falter and finally it is announced that there will be no more parade, I think. Should I keep going? And my soul told me yes. I want to be in Taggy’s near Anfield for Klopp’s last day.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I woke up to a message… I have a ticket. I can say goodbye to Klopp. He gets to hear my voice. May I thank him yet again.

“Now I cry. I am so, so grateful.”

It’s a stroke of luck that any Liverpool fan would dream of. And Hurley got free tickets for last year’s 7-0 win over Manchester United and the clash with Manchester City earlier this season from “his godmother”.

But he earned his luck. Not many would travel that far without expecting a ticket – and Kastner was prepared to make the journey before he knew whether or not he would be able to make it to Anfield. And as anyone who has followed reds anywhere in the world knows, communities form, and communities often have a way of getting to you.

Indeed, it’s a similar story a little closer to home, although Dublin fan Robert Whelan admits the person who handed over two tickets to the famous semi-final in Barcelona hasn’t gotten over it since! Whelan will take part in another landmark game on Sunday and attend Klopp’s farewell alongside his 12-year-old son as the kind of passion that moves people across oceans is passed on to another generation.

“I was delighted to get the tickets because no matter what, getting the chance to say goodbye to Jürgen in person is a privilege and one we will remember forever,” Whelan said, although he admitted that at one time he was sheltered. hopes to see Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy.

But while there will be no more silverware, the overwhelming message is one of gratitude for everything Klopp has done for the club. I asked everyone I spoke to for the message to the manager.

“I can’t put into words how grateful I am for the last nine years,” Kastner admitted. “It’s like saying goodbye to a family member who never met you! So I’ll keep it simple: “Thank you, Jurgen.”

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“Thank you,” Whelan repeated. “You gave me the best days of my life, but beyond that you made me a better person and a better leader in my workplace. You deserve the break and I wish you and your family only the best.”

Although Klopp may not have the most restful time away from the sport if Hurley has his way. “I’d love to have a drink, I’d love to spend a week with you in Ibiza!

“But I can’t ask for anything else. You made my dreams come true. Thank you.”

From Anfield to Alabama, from Liverpool to Louisville, that simple message rings true. For those lucky enough to be in the stadium, wherever you come from, make sure Klopp is made to feel just how much he means to this football club.