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Over the last decade, Jurgen Klopp has firmly established himself as one of the best managers in the world. His teams are organized, love to press and know how to breach defenses at will, even the best of them. Watching a Klopp-managed outfit in action all but guarantees an entertaining evening.
Before taking charge of Liverpool in 2015, Klopp managed Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund. Over the course of his managerial journey, spanning across three clubs, the German has coached some of the best forwards of this generation, helping them fulfill their potential.
Below, we will take a look at five lucky forwards who could make the most of Klopp’s world-class tutelege.
Here are the top five players who have scored the highest number of goals under the Liverpool boss.
#5 Michael Thurk (Mainz 05) - 59 goals
Klopp got his first taste of senior team coaching in 2001, when he took charge of Bundesliga 2 side Mainz 05. Michael Thurk, who was already a regular at the club, became one of Klopp’s most trusted soldiers.
Between February 2001 and April 2004, Mainz were in the second division of German football. Thurk scored 38 league goals in that stretch. His best-ever tally of 13 goals came in the 2003-04 season, helping Mainz earn promotion to the German top flight.
Thurk played a couple of seasons (spent half of the 2004-05 season at Energie Cottbus) under Klopp in the Bundesliga, scoring 18 league goals in 45 appearances.
He scored 59 goals and provided 26 assists in 163 appearances across competitions under the German boss.
#4 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) - 98 goals
Roberto Firmino is one of the most intelligent and selfless forwards in the world. Since taking charge of Liverpool in 2015, Klopp has deployed Firmino in different roles, with the Brazilian always putting in his best shift.
Despite primarily being a centre-forward, Firmino never hesitates to move away from the spotlight and take a more withdrawn role. His passing is exquisite, link-up play is world-class and he has a knack for stepping up in big games.
Firmino’s contributions under Klopp have been beyond mere goals and assists, but those numbers, too, are quite impressive.
Since 2015, the Brazil international has played a total of 320 games under the former Dortmund boss, registering 98 goals and 74 assists. His best-ever haul came in the 2017-18 season, with him scoring 27 goals in 54 matches across competitions.
Firmino has so far won one Premier League title (2019-20), one Champions League trophy (2018-19), and an FA Cup (2021-22), amongst other honors, under the German tactician.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund) - 102 goals
Robert Lewandowski is widely hailed as one of the greatest strikers of his generation. The Bayern Munich ace is not only an expert at putting it away from close range, but is also capable of scoring some fine long-rangers.
Lewandowski’s journey to becoming a goalmachine, however, did not start at Bayern Munich. It began at Borussia Dortmund under Klopp.
The Poland international joined Dortmund from Polish club Lech Poznan in the summer of 2010. Before leaving for arch-rivals Bayern Munich as a free agent in July 2014, Lewandowski played 186 games for BVB under the German tactician. He registered 102 goals and 41 assists in Dortmund colors. The 2012-13 campaign saw Lewandowski score 36 goals in 49 games across competitions, marking his best-ever campaign for the Yellow and Black.
Klopp and Lewandowski won two Bundesliga titles (2010-11, 2011-12), one German Cup (2011-12), and one German Super Cup (2013-14) together at Dortmund.
#2 Sadio Mane (Liverpool) — 120 goals
Less than a year after taking charge of Liverpool, Klopp signed Sadio Mane from Southampton for a £34 million fee in the summer of 2016.
He made the Senegal international one of the cornerstones of his mega project at Anfield. Before leaving for Bayern Munich earlier this summer, Mane served Klopp with everything he had, producing numerous crucial performances along the way.
Adhering to the German’s demands, Mane changed his role time and again, serving as a wide player, a centre-forward, or even a false nine. He dropped deep, pressed relentlessly, and regularly popped up with important goals and assists.
Between the 2016-17 and 2021-22 seasons, Mane played 269 games across competitions for the German manager, recording 120 goals and 48 assists.
Mane’s best-ever season under the former Dortmund boss came in the 2018-19 campaign. He scored 22 Premier League goals in 36 matches to win the Golden Boot.
Together on Merseyside, the duo won one Champions League trophy (2018-19) and a Premier League title (2019-20), amongst other honors.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 156 goals
One of the best players in the world right now, Mohamed Salah is the ideal forward in many ways. He creates, scores and generously contributes to the team’s build-up play, making him a coach’s delight.
Klopp, who signed him from AS Roma for £36.5 million in July 2017, has played a big part in taking the Egypt international’s game to the next level.
The German boss gives Salah the freedom to express himself, does not bog him down with defensive responsibilities, and knows how to accentuate his strengths.
Under Klopp, Salah has played 254 games for Liverpool across all competitions, scoring 156 times and providing 63 assists.
Salah’s best-ever league campaign came in the 2017-18 season, with him bagging a whopping 44 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions. His 32-goal haul in the Premier League helped him win his first Golden Boot. He has since won the personal accolade twice more in 2018-19 (22 goals) and 2021-22 (23 goals).
Under the German manager, Salah has won a total of six trophies, including a Champions League and a Premier League title.
Also Read: Ranking the 5 players who have scored the most goals under Pep Guardiola
