Jurgen Klopp labelled 'a people person' as Xherdan Shaqiri reveals 'surprise' phone call to convince him to join Liverpool from Stoke

Shaqiri lavished his former boss Klopp with praise, stating that the ex-Liverpool head coach is "a people person". The former Switzerland international also explained how he ended up joining Liverpool in 2018, claiming that Klopp played a key role in bringing him to Anfield.

Shaqiri was a Stoke City player before joining Liverpool in the summer of 2018 for a fee of £13.5 million (€16m/$18.5m). The former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger spent three years at Anfield. Following his departure from the Premier League, he played for Lyon and Chicago Fire, before returning to his boyhood club Basel. This past season, he scored 21 goals in 39 games in all competitions, also delivering 22 assists.

Speaking in an interview with ran, Shaqiri recalled the time when he signed for Liverpool. The interviewer asked him, "In Liverpool, you won the Champions League and the league title. What was your relationship with Jurgen Klopp like, and what sets him apart?"

Shaqiri replied: "I had a very good relationship with him. When he called me directly to convince me to move to Liverpool, I was quite surprised. He's a people person, he was very good with the team, and he prepared the squad excellently for all challenges."

On a contract with Basel until 2027, the 33-year-old was asked about his future plans. He said: "At Basel, we demonstrated last season how ambitious and hungry we are for titles. I feel the same way personally: I didn't come back here to end my career, but to be as successful as possible with my hometown club and to win every title we have a chance of. And, of course, the big goal is to finally play in the Champions League again with Basel. I'm focused on that now – and that's why retiring isn't an issue yet."