Selling Sterling, Suarez changed Liverpool mentality: klopp assistant Lijnders

Klopp assistant Pep Lijnders is convinced by the potential of their title winning squad.

Lijnders believes Liverpool could not have been champions if they had kept on selling stars such as Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, who left Anfield for Barcelona and Manchester City respectively.

He said: “That was a deliberate change of strategy.

“The difference between Europe's elite and other big clubs is that the elite are able to keep their best players.

“For a long time Liverpool belonged to the other category of selling players. Players always left because they could move to the elite, one more step up from where they were.

“When we won the Champions League last season, we knew that was the moment to keep this squad together. If we succeed, then it will have more impact than the biggest transfer you can think of.

“Sometimes you are all chasing gold, but you get to a stage where you realise you are sitting on a pile of gold.

“And, more than anything, I love adding youth to a team. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez have improved this team, too.

“You can only bring such young gems into the first team when you have a steady and stable team so they can learn how to play at the top level.''