'I won plenty under Pep Guardiola but regret snubbing Jurgen Klopp after chat'

Mario Gotze has admitted he regrets snubbing Liverpool after his heart-to-heart with Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp took over at Liverpool in October 2015, and went on to enjoy an illustrious nine-year stay at Anfield, snagging top honours such as the Premier League and the Champions League. It was during his first the summer window ahead of the 2016/17 season, however, where the German was handed an opportunity to shape his new squad.

That summer saw rumours swirling around Gotze being on Liverpool's radar, but instead, the midfield star opted to leave Bayern Munich and rejoin Borussia Dortmund - where he once worked alongside Klopp.

Now 32, Gotze reflected on his bond with Klopp from their time together at Dortmund, and shared all about their discussion regarding a regretful potential switch to Anfield eight years ago.

"In 2016, I nearly went to a famous team in England called Liverpool," Gotze penned in The Players' Tribune. "The coach there was a man named Jurgen Klopp.

"I went to his house in Liverpool, where we sat down together in the living room with our wives. What makes Jurgen special is that he sees Mario the person.

"We did not talk much about football. He wasn't saying, 'How can I convince you? What do you want? He asked me about life in general.

Image: Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images)) Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images))

"I think he said something like, 'Look, Mario, you'll play a lot, and you'll have fun here. I know that's the most important thing for you. The club is amazing. Have a think about it'. I really wanted to play for him again."

However, Gotze's desire for immediate success clouded his judgement, and resulted in him steering clear of the then-mid-table Reds, reports the Liverpool Echo.

"But I also wanted to win things right away," Gotze added. "I was so impatient! Liverpool had just finished eighth in England, and Dortmund had come second in Germany."

The current Eintracht Frankfurt ace added: "So I went back. And as much as I love Dortmund, I do feel that I missed out on a special journey with Jurgen.

"I didn't understand that he needed time to build a great team at Liverpool. There was not really any need for me to play in the Champions League right away. I just didn't think that far ahead."

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