Former Liverpool star could be wildcard Jurgen Klopp heir and it's not Xabi Alonso or Steven Gerrard

Liverpool's search for their next manager will be well underway as they prepare for Jurgen Klopp's departure.

Klopp announced in January that he would be stepping down from his role as Reds boss at the end of the season. The decision has led to intense speculation over who could replace the German in the Anfield dugout in the summer.

Xabi Alonso was listed as the early favourite thanks to his impressive record at Bayer Leverkusen. However, Alonso has already confirmed that he will be staying with the Bundesliga club beyond this summer after guiding them to their first-ever league title.

Other candidates linked with the job include Ruben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon, Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton, Julian Nagelsmann at Germany and former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac, while club legend Steven Gerrard has often been linked with the job at some point in his career. One person who may be in line for their first managerial role this summer, though, is a former Liverpool midfielder.

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Nuri Sahin is currently the assistant manager at Borussia Dortmund as he learns his craft in the early stages of his coaching career. He was appointed as the club's assistant back in December as he joined manager Edin Terzic's coaching staff at Signal Iduna Park.

Sahin spent the first half of the 2012-13 season on loan at Liverpool from Real Madrid, where he made 12 appearances with three goals and three assists after being signed by Brendan Rodgers. He also worked under Klopp during his time at Dortmund as a player and has opened up on how he has learned man-management skills from the Liverpool boss.

"Jurgen was unbelievable at it," Sahin told Sky Sports. "He never spoke to you as a football player. He always spoke to you as a human being.

"I had that message on the wall of my office to remind me that I am not a coach of a football player, I am the coach of a human being. To be honest, I also had coaches where the man-management was not the best. I never want the players to feel how I felt sometimes."

Despite Sahin still being in the early stages of his coaching career, it's clear that he has a lot of ambitions. The former Liverpool star also hinted that he may not be an assistant for too much longer, as well as what his coaching style could be when he gets his first managerial role.

"One day I will be back and it will not be in four or five years," said Sahin. "I am very ambitious. I want to lead a team.

"If my coaching career goes the same as my playing career, I will be very happy."

He added: "I would never be an assistant who just stays there and watches. That was very clear when I started. I have a lot of fire."