'Liverpool would still be there for me' - the Jurgen Klopp pep talk and bear hug that restored Calvin Ramsay's belief

Jurgen Klopp dragged him into his office. A bit crestfallen and low on confidence, Calvin Ramsay wasn’t sure what would happen next.

After all, following his £4.5million move to Liverpool, he was now unavailable to his iconic German gaffer. After a promising start at Anfield the Scot sustained two stress fractures in his back shortly after arriving on Merseyside. And a knee problem, which curtailed a loan switch to Preston North End, had now put him back on the treatment table.

So what was his manager going to say? With Klopp, we should have known. Before Ramsay had even sat down the former Liverpool boss probably gave him one of his trademark bear hugs. And when the kid emerged from their pep talk he was brimming with belief again. Ramsay needed Klopp to put an arm around him. He needed comforting. And that’s what he got.

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Klopp’s compassionate words were music to his ears. Even now, several months later, the 21-year-old is full of purpose and direction. Ramsay remains one of Scottish football’s most prodigious talents.

After breaking through the ranks at Pittodrie and catching Liverpool’s eye he was expected to challenge the likes of Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson to be the country’s top right-back. Circumstances have prevented that – but Ramsay believes it WILL happen.

And that Klopp sit-down – along with advice from the likes of Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate – has been a huge help. In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Ramsay said: “Jurgen knew what it was like for a young player to go through injuries and pulled me into his office one day.

Jurgen Klopp and Calvin Ramsay -Credit:Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Jurgen Klopp and Calvin Ramsay -Credit:Liverpool FC via Getty Images

“He told me Liverpool weren’t going anywhere and reminded me that I had a long-term contract. He told me to get myself right and when I was, Liverpool would still be there for me. That was so good to hear – and something I really needed to hear.

“It was reassuring and gave me that bit of confidence back. I knew that if I just did what I had to do in the next period of my career I’d be back showing him what I could do.

“Obviously Jurgen has left Liverpool and the new gaffer (Arne Slot) has come in. So I have to start again. So far I haven’t been able to show him what I’ve got yet as I’m out on loan.

“But there will be a time when I’m back at Liverpool working under him and showing what I can do on the pitch. Andy has been big for me as well, being Scottish. When I first signed for Liverpool he really looked after me. He knew what it was like getting a big move here.

“He left Celtic as a kid and had to go down the leagues before joining Hull then Liverpool. So he knew exactly what I was going through after I’d moved from Aberdeen.

“He told me what it was like for him and I’ll always appreciate what he did for me. I’ve spoken to a few of the boys about my situation, guys like Trent and even Ibrahima, another young player in the squad.

“I get on well with him and he’s always giving me little pieces of advice. I need to take bits from everyone and use it to my benefit. I’m still only 21. Because I was playing at 17 and 18 years-old, but then haven’t had as many games in the last two years, it feels like I’m a lot older than I am.

“I need to remember that I’ve got a 15-year-plus career ahead of me. At the same time I know it’s important to play as many games as I can this season.”

That’s his plan now at Wigan Athletic. With fellow Aberdonian Shaun Maloney in charge, he knows he has to make an impact at the Latics now that he’s fully fit.

Lancashire loan stints at Preston and Bolton Wanderers haven’t worked out for him but he’s sure the Latics will be different. The Scotland Under-21 star said: “The manager here has a lot of belief in me. It’s been different here to the last two clubs.

“He’s Scottish, likes how I play and wants me in his team. I spoke to him before I signed, we met at a cafe for a chat and he’s obviously from Aberdeen as well.

“So we talked about the city and our families, it was a really good conversation. He knows I need more games to reach full fitness again. But he’ll give me a chance to do that. When I get it, I need to show on the pitch that he can trust me.”

Ramsay didn’t get that in his previous two spells away from Anfield. An injury at Preston set him back but gaffers Ryan Lowe then Ian Evatt at Bolton couldn’t give him the game time he felt he deserved. And given the meteoric rise that led him to Liverpool, that was difficult to get his head around.

Ramsay said: “It has been tough but I feel I’ve come back more resilient. When I signed for Liverpool, everything was going great for me. My career was on an upward trajectory.

“So when you suddenly get a setback it’s tough to deal with. I was buzzing, then when that hits you it’s like: ‘Oh no, what’s happening here?’ But I have a burning desire to get back to where I was when I signed for Liverpool and show people what I can do. A couple of managers haven’t given me game time so I want to prove why I should have been playing in their team. Any player wants to prove people wrong and show why you got that big move to a huge club. That’s what I have to do now.”