Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp singled out Nottingham Forest counterpart Steve Cooper for praise as he was crowned Manager of the Year.
The German picked up the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy at the League Managers Association awards on Tuesday night. But Cooper was also in the running for the honour.
Klopp received the most votes from LMA members, following a season in which he has won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and could yet triumph in the Champions League. Cooper was one of five other managers who received the most votes to be in contention for the silverware. Manchester City’s Premier League-winning chief Pep Guardiola, Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, Luton Town’s Nathan Jones and West Ham United’s Davis Moyes were also in the mix.
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Picking up the gong, Klopp mentioned the work Cooper has done at the City Ground, in taking the Reds to within 90 minutes of the top-flight. It comes after Forest went toe-to-toe with Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, pushing their heavyweight opponents all the way before falling 1-0 at the City Ground in March.
According to Goal, Klopp said: “Thank you to all my colleagues. For example, what Steve Cooper did at Nottingham is crazy.
“We had no idea we would consistently be that good. Now Real Madrid, we’ll give it a try.”
Cooper will take his team to Wembley on Sunday, where they battle with Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-offs final. Victory would see Forest back in the top-flight for the first time in 23 years.
