What Ulla quietly told Liverpool staff member sums up emotional day for husband Jurgen Klopp

Even in the dying seconds of an historic nine years as Liverpool's manager, Jurgen Klopp's flair for the dramatic remained undimmed.

It was edging near to 7pm on Sunday evening when the man whose fist bumps have stirred the Kop's soul for close to a decade made the most famous terrace in football rock to his rhythm one final time. It had appeared as though the moment had passed, but after giving a speech direct to the supporters one last time, there was no way he could ever disappoint them.

Having already been assured a progressive third-place Premier League finish prior to kick-off here against Wolves, outsiders might have scoffed at that last piece of performance art from the outgoing Klopp. But then again, this was never really about them. English football might be worse off without Klopp involved but Sunday, at Anfield, was for Liverpool and its people only

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And for all the trophies amassed: the ending of a 30-year wait for a league title; a sixth European Cup; a couple of League Cups; the 2022 FA Cup; and a first-ever Club World Cup, perhaps it is this now familiar post-match jig that will truly be the measure of his work at Liverpool Football Club?

Over time, the routine has come to represent the unshakable bond this man shares with the supporters of the football club who employed him. They would follow him to the ends of the earth and for close to a decade, they did, often enjoying some of the best days of their lives as a result. That, for all the reductive banality the bad-faith detractors will now push online and on the radio stations, is what really matters. It is how football should be enjoyed, Klopp always understood that.

Framing his time on Merseyside as a failure in any sort of way is to spectacularly miss the point of the very essence of the sport and why it grips so many people across the planet. But to reflect too much on this element after such a momentous, celebratory affair as this would be to do the man and the club a disservice. This was their day. His day.

They say there are as many as five stages of grief and it's almost certain that is what the collective, worldwide fanbase have experienced since Klopp announced his decision to step away back in late January.

From denial and anger through to bargaining and depression, the first whistle of this one at Anfield was proof that supporters were now finally in the acceptance phase as they set about giving their idol the send-off he so richly deserved. And there were even nods to former players - like Sadio Mane, Gini Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi - whose efforts helped Klopp build one of the most fearsome Liverpool sides of all time. They don't forget their legends here.

Klopp has made no secret of his frustration at hearing his 'I'm So Glad' anthem being belted out while games and results are still in the balance but the man of the hour was forced to simply accept the acclaim this time around. Its first airing was heard before the game had even kicked off.

The game itself was a mere footnote but the Reds took advantage of Nelson Semedo's first-half sending off to come away with a comfortable 2-0 win. Harvey Elliott, whose excellent end-of-season form continued, swung in a superb ball for Alexis Mac Allister to glance home before the lead was doubled when Jarell Quansah tapped in from close range before the break.

Liverpool's efforts for a third continued into the second half but with about five minutes of normal time remaining, virtually everyone at Anfield got to their feet and the party really began. It was here where the thin veil of pretence that any of the 60,000 attending were there in any way to watch a Premier League football match was formally disbanded. From here on in it was strictly about Klopp as his famous ditty continued on repeat for 10 straight minutes, steadily growing in volume.

The man himself was moved to tears, hugging his backroom confidants, those who are also calling time, and the full-time whistle also brought about embraces for owners Fenway Sports Group in one final exchange with his Boston-based employers.

As the huge banner on the Kop proudly proclaimed, Klopp turned them all from doubters to believers and then to conquerors. So much so, in fact, that at one point in 2020, the Reds were able to proclaim being the champions of England, Europe and the world. It was a rare boast that might never be repeated at Anfield.

So off he goes then, to deservedly enjoy the holiday of a lifetime, with his place among the established order of genius at Liverpool FC safe and secure. For those who watched him get there, it was an utter privilege.

But perhaps, the sliding scale of emotions on the day was best summed up not by Klopp, but by his wife, Ulla, in a solemn, tender exchange with one club employee in a quiet corridor, away from the madness and the noise all around them.

"Are you OK?" asked the staff member as they walked together. "Not really," came the reply. Mrs Klopp was not alone.

Gut gemacht, Jurgen. You made the people happy.

Order our Jurgen Klopp standalone special worldwide here and read all of our coverage ahead of his emotional departure here