"You only really know properly about the size of the club when you come to this part of the world."

This was what Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said when asked what being in Singapore for their 2023 pre-season tour meant for the club.

He was speaking at a press conference on Saturday (Jul. 29) night, prior to Liverpool's open training session at the Singapore National Stadium.

"We enjoy it here"

"The love of the people [in Singapore] is absolutely exceptional, it is exceptional. That's why we really love coming here," Klopp said.

Liverpool was also in Singapore in 2022 for their pre-season tour that year.

"We came back [to Singapore] because we enjoy it here," added Klopp.

But he admitted that it is "tricky" for the team to adapt to Singapore's hot and humid climate.

"We play in England and the weather couldn't be more different to be honest. So that's really tough. And we still have to go through all the paces."

@mothershipsg ✨manifesting cooler weather✨ #tiktoksg #sgnews #liverpool #football #epl ♬ original sound - Mothership

Klopp also joked about having to find a microphone for his team's open training session as his players will need to hear him over thousands of fans at the stadium.

Over 15,000 fans turned up to watch Liverpool's open training session that night.

After training, both Klopp and the players walked around the entire stadium to greet the fans.

They also signed autographs and took selfies when they could.

"It's great, it is exactly what you want when you play for a club like Liverpool— you travel and show your face wherever our supporters are," said Klopp.

Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk also talked about his love for Singapore.

"We love to come here. We love the fans. We appreciate all of you supporting us all over the world," he said.

He added that it was "an amazing feeling" to see "so many happy faces", especially at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia hotel when Liverpool first arrived in Singapore.

"It's always an amazing feeling to be on this side of the world and see so many happy faces and make fans happy as well. We are very privileged and blessed to do that," Van Dijk added.

@mothershipsg Admin is a Man United fan 😩 #tiktoksg #sgnews #liverpool #football #epl ♬ original sound - Mothership

On Liverpool's captaincy

Van Dijk wore the captain's armband in Liverpool's match against Leicester City at the National Stadium on Sunday (Jul. 30).

The Reds beat Leicester 4-0 to lift the Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy.

Liverpool's captaincy has been a talking point in the footballing world since former captain Jordan Henderson and vice-captain James Milner both left the team.

During the press conference on Jul. 29, Van Dijk said that Henderson's move was "a big miss" for the team.

"[He is] someone who has been so important for us in our success over the last years, in the success for the club in the last years so we're going to miss him, we're going to miss him a lot. But that's part of football as well, players come and go, and others have to step up now and that's the reality. But he will missed, I will definitely miss him, and we wish him all the best."

He added that he has captained the team multiple times over the years.

"It's always a proud moment to do that. We will see what the future brings but it would be a huge honour to captain the side," said Van Dijk.

Klopp also touched on this topic during the press conference.

He said:

"Nobody has to be the next James Milner, nobody has to be the next Jordan Henderson. They all can be themselves and that gives us a real chance for a new and fresh development. That's exactly what you need.

It's always [the case] when you have big changes— first, people want changes, then you have the changes, and then everybody is worrying about the changes. The problem with changes is you never know beforehand if it will work out, but we are really optimistic about it. That's the nature of change, by the way. We are really optimistic about it and excited as well."

Top image from Mothership.