Klopp: 'This is my most special trophy'

Jürgen Klopp hailed Liverpool’s Carabao Cup success over Chelsea on Sunday as the most special trophy of his 23-year managerial career. 

A depleted Liverpool side were forced to lean heavily on their academy kids in the Wembley showpiece - which they won courtesy of a Virgil van Dijk goal late in extra-time - the Reds' cause not helped by an injury to Ryan Gravenberch after a poor first-half tackle by Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo. 

The Merseysiders ended the encounter with youngsters Jayden Danns, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jarell Quansah all on the pitch and manager Klopp afterwards went up to lift the trophy with his captain van Dijk. 

But Liverpool finished in the ascendency with the captain Virgil van Dijk’s header sealing a record‑extending 10th League Cup triumph late in extra time. The Liverpool manager, who is in his final season in charge,  went up to lift the trophy with Van Dijk and afterwards said: 

“What we see here today is exceptional. We might never see it again. These things don’t happen in football. I got told there’s an English phrase – you don’t win trophies with kids. I didn’t know that.

“In more than 20 years it is easily the most special trophy I have ever won. It is absolutely exceptional. Sometimes people ask me if I’m proud of things and it’s really tricky, I wish I could feel pride more often. But tonight is an overwhelming ­feeling. I was proud of everyone involved in everything here, I was proud of our people for the way they pushed us, I was proud of the staff for creating this kind of atmosphere where these boys can just do what they are best at. I was proud of our academy, I was proud of my coaches, I was proud of so many things.

“It was completely ­overwhelming. It was nothing to do with it being maybe my last game at Wembley. It was really because of how everybody contributed. Seeing the faces after the game of the kids, Jayden Danns … can you create football stories which definitely nobody will ever forget? It’s so difficult. If you find the same story with academy players coming on against a top, top side and still winning it, I’ve never heard of it.”