Liverpool cult hero Erik Meijer reckons Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke will be a match made in footballing heaven - should the pair link up at Anfield.
As reported, Liverpool have earmarked Schmadtke as a surprise front-runner to become their new sporting director. The Reds have been on the look out for a replacement for Julian Ward as he prepares to stand aside only 12 months after succeeding Michael Edwards in the position.
Schmadtke is a former goalkeeper who is well-known for behind-the-scenes work in Germany and most recently Wolfsburg in that respect. Incidentally, he spent part of his playing career alongside Meijer, who has shed light on what to expect from the 59-year-old if he's eventually appointed.
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Meijer, who played alongside Schmadtke at Bayer Leverkusen and was later signed by him for Alemannia Aachen, told Mail Online: "Jorg finds managers that can make clubs better and players that managers can make better. And that is what Jurgen Klopp loves; players you can make better, he never wants the finished article.
"He much prefers being with those who know their best days are in front of them. Jurgen, I believe, respects him a lot. He wants people around him that are the best at their jobs.
"Jurgen has never said he knows the answer for everything. He doesn't want people who will only say yes or do what he says. Jorg is his own man and not afraid to speak out when he has a strong view."
Meijer, 53, added: "If you look at Jorg, he always seems to have a stern face, like he's waiting to criticise, but that's just him wanting the very best he can get from a situation. He's always looking for perfection - if that's possible. Sometimes it means he has to be hard with what he says.
"He isn't afraid to speak out. If you want to be good, you have to be hard. Sometimes people don't like it."
Meijer played 26 games for Liverpool from 1999 to 2000 after signing from Bundesliga side Leverkusen, where he was team-mates with Schmadtke for 12 months.
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