Jurgen Klopp has revealed that there was “a lot of interest” in Luke Chambers over the summer, but the Liverpool manager “didn’t blink” before rejecting it.
Chambers became the latest academy player to start for Liverpool’s first team on Thursday night, making his full debut in the 5-1 thrashing of Toulouse.
It came following 13 years with the club so far, with the left-back having joined at the age of six before progressing through the ranks.
However, it had been widely expected that Chambers would spend the campaign away from Anfield, following up a half-season loan at Kilmarnock with offers from Bayer Leverkusen, Swansea, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday.
While injury during pre-season was thought to be the reason a move fell through, speaking after the victory over Toulouse, Klopp explained that he intervened.
This was previously reported by This Is Anfield‘s David Lynch ahead of kickoff.
“He had a really good year last year, in Scotland,” Klopp told reporters.
“[There] was a lot of interest there in the summer, but I didn’t blink for a second then I thought I cannot let him go.”
Instead, Chambers has remained on Merseyside and been a regular with the U21s, as well as training with and now playing for the senior side.
With Andy Robertson likely to miss the remainder of the year after shoulder surgery, there is a high chance he is given more game time in the coming weeks.
“I think that, in the moment, when our U21s, when they’re all together, that’s a super-strong side,” Klopp continued.
“That’s important as well. They train with us.
“The session we had [on Wednesday], the minus-one session, a proper minus-one session in the longer period between Premier League and the Europa League game, you don’t get that somewhere, this quality like this.
“It’s really important that the boys go through that as well.
“[I’m] pleased for him.
“I wouldn’t say Luke is in this moment in his top, top, top shape. He got an injury which caused another little setback.
“But we 100 percent believe in him and trust him. I wanted to show him that tonight.”
Klopp was clearly convinced in the ability of his young players, as he also trusted Jarell Quansah, Calum Scanlon and James McConnell to come in against Toulouse.
The likelihood is that some will now form part of his side to face Bournemouth in the fourth round of the League Cup.
