Official: Klopp named new Liverpool manager

Liverpool have confirmed the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as their new manager.

The 48-year-old boarded a private plane from Dortmund to John Lennon Airport on Thursday afternoon, before formalising proceedings at Hope Street Hotel in the evening and signing a three-year deal.

Klopp's contract is thought to be worth around £7 million a year, with his official unveiling to take place at Anfield on Friday at 10.00GMT.

Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz are expected to be confirmed as part of Klopp's backroom team, with the Merseyside club having already announced the departures of Sean O'Driscoll, Glen Driscoll and Chris Davies.

Gary McAllister is no longer involved with first-team coaching, but will remain at Liverpool in an ambassadorial role.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager was targeted following the dismissal of Brendan Rodgers, who paid the price for Liverpool's poor start to the new campaign.

The Reds won just three of their first eight Premier League games and have struggled in cup competitions, drawing against Bordeaux and Sion in the Europa League and needing penalties to overcome League Two's Carlisle in the League Cup.

Rodgers had been under pressure since finishing sixth last season and losing the FA Cup semi-final to Aston Villa, with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) already sounding out Klopp in the summer, though he initially spurned their advances.

Klopp was keen to take a break from football but is now ready to return to management, and has been persuaded to take over at Anfield after a week of talks with FSG.

Klopp has always been attracted to the Premier League and is particularly excited by the prospect of managing a club steeped in as much history as Liverpool, having done a similar revival job at Dortmund.

The former Mainz player and coach took over at Signal Iduna Park in 2008 with the club struggling in the Bundesliga, but guided the once ailing club to the title in just his third season.

He followed up that triumph with a second consecutive title win, puncturing Bayern Munich's dominance, before guiding BVB to the Champions League final at Wembley in 2013, where die Roten won in extra time.