Jurgen Klopp hails "inspiring" Pep Guardiola as best manager in the world

Jurgen Klopp has hailed Pep Guardiola as the best coach in the world - and admitted he wouldn't mind being stranded on a desert island with the Manchester City boss.

Liverpool boss Klopp and Guardiola have become fierce Premier League rivals in recent years.

But there is also huge mutual respect between the pair and when Klopp was asked to name the two managers he would choose to keep him company on a desert island, he opted for the Catalan and Norwich's Daniel Farke.

Although Klopp did say Burnley boss Sean Dyche would offer the best chance of escape.

He said: "I think I would go for Pep and Daniel Farke.

"I like Daniel a lot. He is a really good guy. And I think Pep is pretty inspiring.

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Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have become great rivals ( Image:

PA)

"I think we could talk about different things than football.

"I don't know if any of us has any skills to get off the desert island.

"Let me think. Probably Sean Dyche. He looks like he could find a way out."

Klopp was then asked if he rated himself as the best manager in football - and insisted that accolade should go to Guardiola.

The German has won both the title and the Champions League during his time at Anfield, while Guardiola's last European triumph was when he was in charge of Barcelona.

But Klopp said: "No, no. I know my problems and I know my struggles.

"Whatever it means being the best manager in the world, I don't know exactly.

"But I am nothing without my coaches around me and I don't want to be anything without them.

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"I have loved to play football all my life because of using my team-mates and helping them as well - and I kept doing that after I became a manager.

"So I use my coaches and I help them as well and together we are pretty good.

"But I was never interested in being the best coach in the world.

"For me, Pep is. Even I don't know if that's the truth but he is really difficult to play against."