Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits that Dejan Lovren divides opinion amongst Reds fans but believes the defender has lot more to give in the future.
The Croatian defender signed a new four-year contract with Liverpool on Friday, which indicated towards his growing importance in Klopp’s team as a senior player.
However, the defender is still a divisive figure amongst many fans because of his inconsistent displays and his knack of making mistakes at the back during crucial junctures of games.
But Klopp is pleased that the 27-year-old defender has committed his future to the club and feels that as a centre-back he still has a lot to give to Liverpool in the coming years.
The Reds manager is aware that Lovren is not loved by all Liverpool fans but feels the supporters would have clamoured for his signing if he was playing at a different club.
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And the German feels he is not as inconsistent as he is sometimes made out to be by the fans and the public.
Reacting to the defender signing a new deal, Klopp said in a press conference: “I’m very happy about this. I know how supporters think.
“If Dejan played for another club you would want to sign him – and pay a lot of money.
"He is still 27, the best time is still to come.
“If you’d asked fans after the Dortmund game [last season in the Europa League] they would have said give him a 20-year contract.
“After the Palace game fans would have said ‘can we find another team who will have him?’
"The truth is somewhere in between.”
