Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has said that youngsters Harvey Elliott, Neco Williams, and Curtis Jones will each receive a Premier League winners’ medal even if it means giving his own away.
While insisting that he won’t be tempted to give game-time to the club’s trio of talented teenagers during the final weeks of the campaign after winning the league title, the German tactician, who was speaking at a press conference said Liverpool don’t give Premier League games away for free.
Liverpool is chasing Manchester City‘s point haul of 100, which gave them the league last season. With the current situation, if the Reds wins their remaining game, they can set a new record.
Klopp speaks on the eligibility of Premier League medal
For a player to be able to get a Premier League medal, he must play at least five games for the champions. This has made Klopp urge the Premier League to re-think their rules.
Elliott, Williams, and Jones – 17, 19, and 19 respectively have featured in only two league games this season, while Williams has been used as a substitute in both of Liverpool’s last two matches. Elliott and Jones, on the other hand, were unused during the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City on Thursday.
“I would rather [have them] think about the rule again and make it happen that if you played one game, then you should have a medal, to be honest. Five games, I don’t know who came up with that idea, I hear that for pretty much the first time and I don’t think it’s a good rule.
“If people don’t understand how important a squad is to win a championship, then I cannot help them. If you have no games, you should get a medal. If you are the second goalie in a team and you have less games, then you should have a medal.
“You train five million times over a year, and if you don’t train at the highest level, you have no chance to win a championship, and somebody decided that you need to have five games to get a medal?
“These boys will get a medal 100 percent, even if I produce it by myself. They can have my medal. This rule, what is that? We have to win football games; we cannot just give appearances away. They deserve a medal, and they will get a medal, if not from the Premier League, then from me.”
Next on the schedule of the Red is a meeting with relegation-threatened Aston Villa at Anfield. Villa almost secured a point in the reverse fixture only for Sadio Mane’s last gasp effort to break their heart.
