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Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has told kicker that Jurgen Klopp has "revived Liverpool's enthusiasm" and he believes they will be contenders this season. Liverpool are currently level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table and Ferguson, who famously said his greatest challenge upon arriving at Old Trafford in 1986 was "knocking Liverpool right off their f---ing perch," feels Klopp can take the Reds back to the top. Asked if Klopp has confirmed Ferguson's belief that a German coach can succeed in the Premier League, the Scot replied: "Absolutely. He has done a really good job and revived Liverpool's enthusiasm. "It can happen that big clubs lose it. For two decades, Liverpool changed managers without building their own identity. "You can now well and truly sense that you have to count them in this year. You can see Klopp's dedication on the sideline -- I'm convinced his work in training is similar. He's a strong personality. That's absolutely vital at a big club." Klopp took over Liverpool last October and, although they finished eighth last season, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has raised hopes the five-time European champions can secure their first title since 1990. Ferguson won the league 13 league times during his time at Old Trafford, with United overtaking Liverpool's record of 18 titles during his time at the helm. The 74-year-old, who retired in 2013, has regularly praised Klopp since his arrival at Anfield, telling ESPN FC last year that he admired the German and later admitting: "I'm worried about him because the one thing United don't want is Liverpool to get above us." He added in the kicker interview that Liverpool are one of five contenders for the title this season, along with Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. ESPN FC's Germany correspondent, Stephan Uersfeld, contributed to this report.
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