Derby boss Paul Warne is desperate to get a photo of Jurgen Klopp for his sister, who is currently going through chemotherapy.
The 49-year-old, who left Rotherham to take over at Pride Park earlier this year, is preparing his Rams side for their trip to Anfield in the Carabao Cup. The League One outfit are major underdogs with the Reds expected to make light work of their third tier opponents, but Warne is hoping to leave Anfield with more than just a win.
He came up against Pep Guardiola in the FA Cup back in 2019, but didn't get a chance to chat with the Manchester City boss after the game. Warne is hoping Klopp finds the time as he's planning to secure a photo of the German, which he will gift to his sister.
“I didn’t go into Pep’s office – I didn’t get invited in,” he told reporters, as quoted by the Derby Telegraph . “Non-English managers aren’t ever as keen. So I’ve managed against loads of managers of different nationalities but it’s very much a British thing. They love going in after.
“If Jurgen invites me in then great because my sister-in-law is a big Jurgen fan and she is fighting chemo at the moment. Everyone who loves her has sent her a picture of themselves with their thumbs-up and it is on her wall going into her bedroom so she can see them all.
"I need to get a picture of Jurgen. If I don’t get a picture of him then one of my very good friends is a physio there so he will get it for me.”
Derby beat Mansfield and Championship strugglers West Brom to make it to the third round, where they will face the holders of the competition. The Rams last faced Liverpool in this competition six years ago, losing 3-0.
Can Derby cause an upset against Liverpool? Have your say in the comments below.Warne, who took over from Liam Rosenior back in September, has Derby currently sat in seventh place. He's previously secured three promotions from the third tier, but is hoping to pick the brains of one of the game's finest in Klopp should he get the opportunity.
“I would like to think we’d go into his office, not because I am star-struck,” Warne added. “But I’d like to go in and ask him (Klopp) about a couple of aspects of his training.
"I’d also like to know what research he did on us and what he felt our weaknesses are. You learn quite a lot from speaking to managers.
“And you also learn that the pressures and the difficulties of the job aren’t just yours. It’s a bit cathartic. I didn’t go in with Pep at all – it was zero.”
