03 April 2024 , 05:00
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has shared further details on Jurgen Klopp's bombshell Liverpool exit announcement, claiming the gobsmacked squad was left asking: "Is this a joke?"
The Reds right-back recently revealed his Liverpool team-mates were "shook for hours" after Klopp broke the news that he would be standing down after nine successful years at the end of the season.
He has now added further details surrounding the announcement, including how Klopp called his players into a morning meeting - something he's never done before - to explain the motivation behind his decision.
Alexander Arnold said, as reported by The Athletic: "It started like a normal day. Then the manager called a meeting at 10:30am, which we had never had before, so everyone was like, 'What's going on?'
"He came into the changing rooms and told us there was news breaking as he was speaking. So we found out as players at the same time as everyone else but he told us personally.
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"He said that this had to be his last season, that he needed a break to spend time with his family. I didn't know what to do. You think, 'Is this a joke?' None of us were expecting it.
"After he left the room, everyone was just sat there thinking, 'Has that just happened?' Then you have to get on with it, going out to train in an hour, doing your job."
Alexander-Arnold spoke about the announcement pitchside at Anfield with Jamie Carragher, ahead of Liverpool's 2-1 win over Brighton on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold says the players thought the announcement was a joke (Getty Images)All eyes were on Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi, who Alexander-Arnold and Klopp heaped praise on ahead of the game, after reports he could replace the German in the Reds hotseat.
Revealing what makes Brighton so good under the Italian, Alexander-Arnold said: "I think they buy into the game plan, I think they know what they're doing, they're well drilled in what they do, they believe in it and they go an execute it.
"And the confidence in what they do, and they don't really care where they are or who they're playing against, they'll play the way they've been told to play and I think they are a team that likes to play and to play out from the back and to take risks.
"But when it comes off, as a player playing against them, it is incredibly difficult. I said it last season they were probably the toughest opponent we found that we played against, just incredibly difficult to try and press them, they'll pick you apart and outnumber you in the middle.
"You don't really know where to go and press them but I think obviously this season it's a little bit different for them and the way they've been playing but it's going to be a difficult game, the lads know that and I'm sure we have a game plan to stop them."
According to Sky Sports, De Zerbi is no longer in the running to replace Klopp, with Liverpool looking at other - currently unnamed - candidates to take the club forward.
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