Jurgen Klopp receives freedom of Liverpool honour

Jurgen Klopp joins Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steve Gerrard in receiving the honour

Football manager Jurgen Klopp has vowed to defend Liverpool "forever" as he received the freedom of the city.

The Reds boss received the honour in a ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday evening.

The 55-year-old German is only the second foreign national - after Nelson Mandela - to be given the honour.

Klopp took over at Anfield in 2015 and has since led the club to Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup glory.

Speaking before the ceremony, he said: "The city of Liverpool is home, that's how it is.

"We arrived here more than seven years ago, from the first moment people are very open, very friendly."

He said he felt "very honoured and very privileged" to be given the freedom of Liverpool.

Referring to the right to drive sheep through city's streets, which comes with the honour, he said: "I've read a little bit about this, what it means.

"I read something about sheep in the city and stuff like this, I'm not 100% sure, but one of the duties is to defend the city, or in the past it was.

"I know they meant it differently but I will, with words, forever."

'A great humanitarian'

Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall, whose son James was one of 97 Liverpool fans who died in the 1989 disaster, was among friends, families and dignitaries at the ceremony to see Klopp receive the honour.

The Reds boss said he met Mrs Aspinall soon after joining the club.

"I cannot be more impressed to be honest, it's unbelievable," he said.

"We had a fairly close relationship from the beginning.

"I'm a person who really cares but Margaret helped me with understanding the situation because it was obviously quite long ago.

"I think it actually says the most about the club and the people in the city that we don't forget it, in the right way."

Mrs Aspinall said she was "absolutely delighted" to see Klopp receive the honour.

"He's a great ambassador for our club and also our city," she added.

"He's just a great manager, a great human being, a great personality and a great humanitarian."