Arne Slot reveals why he took the Liverpool job after the club confirmed his appointment to replace Jurgen Klopp on a three-year deal

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed why he took up the opportunity to lead the Reds.

Slot’s appointment was confirmed by Liverpool on Monday, 24 hours after Jurgen Klopp took charge of his last game following nine years in charge at Anfield.

Klopp led the chants for his successor as he took to the microphone at full time, urging his now-former side’s fans to back the new man at the helm as he looks to continue the German’s legacy.

Slot will officially take charge on June 1, leaving Feyenoord in the Eredivisie after restoring them to Europe’s elite in his three years at the helm.

Now, speaking on why he jumped ship, the 45-year-old revealed it was an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up on.

‘It is certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you have experienced so many wonderful moments and worked successfully with so many wonderful people,’ he told the club website.

‘But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is difficult to ignore.’

Last week, Slot had revealed to the world that he would be the person to take over from Klopp at the club.

‘I can confirm that I will become the trainer there next season,’ he said at a press conference on Friday. 

The revelation came just hours after Klopp, 56, held his final press conference as Liverpool boss, where he admitted the last week had ‘been the most intense of my life’.

He rounded off his time with Liverpool, which saw him win both the Premier League and the Champions League.

There have been concerns over the appointment of Slot, not only because he has to follow in Klopp’s footsteps but due to the fact he is coming from the Netherlands, where Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag succeeded before struggling in the Premier League.

Ten Hag’s future remains unclear ahead of the summer, with the Dutchman leading United to their worst-ever Premier League finish, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe potentially looking to make changes.

Jan Ophof, however, Slot’s mentor from his Dutch home town of Bergentheim, has noted that there is one way that the incoming Liverpool boss is better than Ten Hag.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Ophof said: ‘Arne is more intelligent than ten Hag. He is different.’