Jurgen Klopp dedicates title to Liverpool fans, former players and managers

Kenny Dalglish says Reds can expect "more happy days" under Klopp

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dedicated their first English league triumph in 30 years to the fans and also thanked the former players and managers who helped build the club.

Manchester City's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Thursday gave Liverpool an unassailable 23-point lead with seven Premier League games remaining.

"My message is: it's for you out there ... I hope you feel it," Klopp told the fans on Liverpool's website.

"It's for so many people. Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness spoke to me ... they were very positive. That's nice but it's thanks to them because this club is built on what they did.

"It's built ... on [Bill] Shankly, [Bob] Paisley and [Joe] Fagan and all the others, but on these players... Steven Gerrard – this club's built on, in the last 20 years, on Stevie's legs. He had to carry all the pressure. He did that exceptionally.

"The boys love being part of this club, they love being part of the story of this club and the history. It's so nice how we learned how to deal with the history, how we learned to use the history in the last two years."

Klopp said he had made sure everyone watched the match together.

"There was no alternative... we thought about it, shall we do something and then we thought maybe not compulsory, the boys have to drive a bit," Klopp added.

"Then I said, 'no, we have to make it compulsory, everybody has to be there,' because I'm more experienced... I know who will stay at home and watch it alone will regret it for the rest of his life."

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Meanwhile, Liverpool greats lauded Klopp's all-conquering team. Former manager Dalglish said Liverpool can expect "a lot more happy days" under Klopp. Dalglish was in charge of the club when they last won the title in 1990.

"If you would have said that, you would have been arrested and sectioned," Dalglish told BT Sport.

"Sometimes things happen, but certainly the last two years and since Juergen has come in it's been very positive. He's been fantastic and epitomises everything Liverpool stand for, he appreciates and respects everyone that works at the club.

"Whatever he gets he deserves. It's not a one-off because last year they came within a point of it, this year they've only lost one, drawn two. They won a club world championship, they won the Champions League last year as well.

"Onward and upwards and I think we've got a lot more happy days to come as long as Juergen's there."

Another Liverpool great, Souness, said Klopp had produced a "fabulous" side.

"It's not just about this season. This is a special team," Souness told Sky Sports.

"This is a team that nobody enjoys playing against... They give everything... when you combine that effort and the quality they have... they're some team."

Former defender Mark Lawrenson praised Klopp for not being daunted by the challenge.

"Juergen has... embraced Liverpool's past. After all, the past is why he came here. He knew what could be achieved and what is being achieved," Lawrenson wrote in The Times.