Liverpool legend Jim Beglin has penned an emotional poem to Jurgen Klopp's Premier League title winners.
The Reds are champions of England for the first time in 30 years and will tonight lift the trophy after a clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
And Beglin, who won the double with Liverpool in 1986, has paid tribute to the work of Klopp, Bill Shankly and the other iconic managers to have left their stamp on the club.
Speaking to the ECHO about his inspiration for the poem, he said: "I travel a lot and when I'm not working on my script for Pro Evolution Soccer I like to write a bit.
"I like a little bit of poetry and I'm not saying I'm a poet, but just sometimes because of the job, words are important and how you use them, and so yeah I got scribbling on a train a while ago.
"I wrote one or two verses and I thought maybe I could take it on. It ended up becoming a trace of managerial history since Bill Shankly, because he was the one that was recognised as making the significant change that Liverpool needed in the 60s.
"I remember when I was at Liverpool I heard an awful lot about him. I never met Bill Shankly, unfortunately, but I heard an awful lot of him. There were stories galore and I took it all in.
"So I just thought, well I would take it on.
"So I have given a mention to each manager's feats and a concise version of what was achieved, and I have tried to do it in limerick form.
"It's maybe not ideal becauselimericks are usually jokey, and this isn't, but I just went with it. And here I am. It's got about 15 verses and it's a little account of what's gone on."
Here is Jim's poem in full:
Thanks to Shanks by Jim Beglin. (C)
The mighty ambition of Shanks
Strengthened LFC ranks
He brought the thirst
To finish first
And will always merit great thanks
The next in line was Sir Bob
Who concocted a thoroughbred mob
Three European Cups
Plus many more ups
And a wholly magnificent job
The succession meant genial Joe
A treble to increase the flow
A streamlined team
All set to gleam
Then Heysel, a harrowing low
And so a call for the king
A double to start with a fling
But Hillsborough came
It was never the same
96 etched forever that spring
A return to the club for Souness
With designs on a spell of excess
But too much change
Reduced the range
And slowed the run of success
Evo stepped up to the plate
With knowledge of how to be great
Spice boy nous
Filled the house
LFC found a healthier state
A Frenchman entered the fray
Gerrard Houllier planned to make hay
A different style
A trophy pile
He did it all his way
Now Rafa could script a good tale
Of a team that just wouldn't fail
Istanbul heaven
From the wrong starting eleven
A historic fifth holy grail
Roy found it tough from the start
A struggle with LFC art
Inspiration was lacking
The fans chanted sacking
There were better fits for the part
Sir Kenny was back in the seat
With the hope of a little more heat
From a hasty assembly
There were three trips to Wembley
A standard Dalglish feat
Brendan had licence to thrill
SAS and their sumptuous skill
Times were exciting
The exception was biting
Two points from climbing the hill
Then Jurgen came through the door
Heavy metal was brought to the fore
A few years of yearning
Completed the learning
The Liver bird ready to soar
Big ears was back in the mix
Madrid after Kiev, the fix
It triggered a spark
That set a new mark
The count had moved onto six
A Premier League now the aim
The spark has turned into flame
A thirty year search
To get back on the perch
Time to uncork the champagne.
Hats off to Bill on his throne
He set the club’s standards in stone
Navigating a storm
Is a Liverpool norm
You’ll never walk alone.
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