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As part of a club documentary offering an insight into his final days in Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp was asked by filmmakers to stand alone on The Kop one afternoon and explore Anfield Road.

He did it and he didn’t particularly like it.

“I love Anfield more than anything,” Klopp said on Friday, “but I love it when it’s full.”

There will be no empty seats in the traditional stadium on Sunday when Klopp takes charge of his last game as Liverpool manager after almost nine years at the club.

There won’t be many eyes left dry among the home fans either.

Klopp was the man who made Liverpool dream again.

The man who led the team to seven major trophies – including a sixth Champions League title (“Let’s talk about six, baby,” he memorably sang) and the first English championship in 30 years.

The man who forged such a connection with the port city that he was compared to Bill Shankly, the club’s most legendary manager.

The man who was equally at home motivating his players to excel with his heavy metal style of football while speaking compassionately to the families of victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s game against Wolverhampton, Klopp paused several times while answering questions – sometimes because he was getting emotional, and sometimes because he wanted to find just the right words about all aspects of a club that is so close to his heart lies.

“I wouldn’t be happy if I thought I could have done more,” said the 56-year-old German. “I could not. I couldn’t have done more.”

That’s why there wasn’t so much sadness when he said goodbye to his players individually on Thursday and held a barbecue with the team.

He visited workers at the club’s store in Liverpool city center one final time. He forgets how many Liverpool shirts he has signed in the last few days.

Klopp said it was “the most intense week of my life”.

“I don’t think it’s nice to say goodbye,” he said, “but saying goodbye without being sad or hurt would just mean that the time you spent together wasn’t right or great .” And I had a great time.”

There was a feeling of joy as he experienced his greatest achievements as Liverpool manager.

His best game? Perhaps surprisingly, the 1-1 draw with Manchester City at Anfield this season saw Liverpool deliver a dominant second-half performance against the team Klopp considers the best in the world.

The best goal? Goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a header from a corner in the fifth minute of added time to win a game at West Bromwich Albion.

His favorite assist was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quickly taken corner for Divock Origi’s goal in the 4-0 comeback win against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final. And Alisson’s late stop against Napoli in the same Champions League season was his favorite save.

As he recounted all the memories, he realized what a great time he had and what a journey he had been on since he arrived as a bespectacled eccentric with slightly crooked teeth and a playing style – full of passion and full of energy – that seemed was made for Liverpool.

“I take memories, friendships and relationships with me forever,” said Klopp. “The older you get, the more you realize that as time goes by, you look back and think, ‘My God, that was really good.’

“A decade in your life is huge and I won’t forget a single day of it.”

Klopp being Klopp, he even had time to address the football issues of the day in his final pre-match press conference by saying he would vote to abolish VAR at the Premier League’s annual general meeting next month.

Until then, however, he will be on the outside looking in. A former Liverpool manager. No longer part of English football.

Yet he always will be. Few people have been so charismatic, so influential, so good at their job, although there will be – and Klopp said he accepts this – many who believe that a league title was a subpar return for a club whose title clashes with City rises taking the standard of English football to a new level.

That’s why there will be such a special atmosphere at Anfield on Sunday, away from the critical clashes surrounding the title fight being played out at the Etihad Stadium and the Emirates Stadium.

Klopp said he refused to give the documentary filmmakers access to his final team meeting because he had “no idea how it will turn out.”

“If there could be a football atmosphere instead of a farewell atmosphere, that would be cool,” he said.

“We will prepare as well and as normally as possible. I don’t think I’ve ever been one to disrupt a good game, but this time I’m probably the one and I’m sorry for that.”

Klopp, who was awarded the highest civic award “Freedom of the City of Liverpool” in 2022, had one final message for the people.

“I can’t imagine that the club will need my help in the future,” he said. “But if the city needs me, I’ll be there.”