Inspirational Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has not only snapped up a rare chance of working with Klopp but has also nurtured a long-standing friendship with the German mastermind.
Durban – It is not often that anyone is afforded the opportunity to work individually with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, let alone an athlete of a totally different sport.
Inspirational Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has not only snapped up a rare chance of working with Klopp but has also nurtured a long-standing friendship with the German mastermind.
The chemistry between the two men from opposite ends of the world and in two incredibly different sporting codes is clearly visible as Klopp takes Kolisi through his paces.
The Sharks loose forward seemed to be a little out of his depth at the beginning, hitting wall mannequins, attackers, defenders and even carried Klopp on his shoulders at some point.
Klopp, in various videos, appeared to be offering world class insight into the key elements of taking penalties, free-kicks and scoring/defending corner-kicks, and then the German mentor himself had a crack at a conversion.
Kolisi is well-known Reds supporter and has previously been invited by Klopp to a Champions League match at Anfield.
The 31-year-old reminisced about the day he met Klopp in a restaurant in Cape Town, admitting to being star-struck before the German coach approached him and told him he had seen him lead the Springboks to victory over England.
“I was sitting there with Faf du Plessis, the South Africa cricket captain, and I almost fell off my chair when I saw him walk in because I couldn’t believe it,” he revealed.
Kolisi also identified Steven Gerrard, one of England and Liverpool’s best ever players, as one of his biggest inspirations in professional sports.
“He touched my heart – the way he led, and the way people loved him,” he recalled. “I tried football, but I wasn’t so good! I couldn’t kick the ball straight, so I moved to rugby,” he jokingly told Liverpool.com during his visit.
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