Less than 12 months ago, signing a contract extension was perhaps the last thing on the mind of Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool had just finished an arduous, hugely challenging and unprecedented season by somehow salvaging Champions League qualification on the final weekend. And the Reds boss, quite frankly, had had enough.
"I couldn’t have cared less at that moment," recalled Klopp. "Just get through it and that is absolutely true. We were all like really drained. Just finished. Done.”
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Such feelings hadn't passed unnoticed. "I'm pretty sure any human being would be ground down at some point," said Liverpool vice-captain James Milner earlier this year. "Maybe he was slightly low on energy at the end of last year like probably everybody was with everything going on in the world, while still being Liverpool manager as well."
Indeed, at one point last campaign, there were even strong rumours Klopp's disillusionment and sheer exhaustion had prompted him to consider quitting. That they were given serious credence by many underlines few would have blamed the German for calling time on a successful Liverpool tenure there and then, let alone at the scheduled end of his contract in 2024. Managing Liverpool isn't for the faint-hearted.
But then gradually things changed. Football stepped out of the cold, grim days of the pandemic era, supporters again began to fill Anfield and beyond, and Liverpool's freakishly unremitting injury list started to clear. And a return to normality was exactly the fillip a jaded Klopp required, not least the renewing in-person of the strong bond between the manager, his players and the fanbase. Certainly, those trademark fist-pumps have taken on extra significance this season.
The transformation has been noticeable. Mike Gordon, the Fenway Sports Group president who helped broker a new deal for Klopp that extends his Anfield commitment until 2026, even suggested the Reds boss is "more energised than ever".
Of course, winning games has helped, Liverpool having already claimed the League Cup and still competing for the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League. In terms of timing, the initial feelgood factor prompted by Klopp's decision could provide the extra 1% the Reds may need to overcome the hurdles that remain during the closing weeks of the campaign.
The ramifications will be much wider than that, though. Klopp agreeing a new deal - which will take him to almost 11 years in charge - was a show of faith in the club's progress, the Reds boss making a point of lauding the £50m AXA Training Centre and the ongoing Anfield Road end development.
But it's on-the-field matters that have most enthused. Having constructed one winning team, the challenge for the Reds boss now is to fashion his second great side. Last season's arrivals of Diogo Jota and Thiago Alcantara were a step towards that, so too this term's signings Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz. Fulham's exciting teenager Fabio Carvalho is likely to be the first of the summer's new intake. And with Julian Ward set to officially take over the reins of sporting director from Michael Edwards, there is already a sense of a new era being ushered in at Anfield.
This, however, is evolution, not revolution. Intriguing, then, were Gordon's comments that Klopp's deal "is an opportunity to benefit from continuity, particularly in terms of renewals".
Liverpool worked hard last year to secure the core of their squad on long-term deals. And many supporters will hope the surprise - and few if anyone had seen it coming - decision of Klopp to do likewise will prompt others to follow suit. Not least Mohamed Salah, who continues to send mildly cryptic messages over his future as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his contract.
Salah wants to stay, that much is clear. But, says the Egyptian, it isn't just about money. So if ambition is the issue, what could be better than Liverpool ensuring the wares of one of the world's best managers?
Looking much further down the line, FSG now have an extra two years to plan for life when the Reds boss finally decides to call it quits at Anfield.
Many supporters fear the day that comes. Klopp, though, has determined it won't be happening for a good while yet. More than six years into his tenure, he's still in love with Liverpool - and he feels finer than ever.
