Liverpool are no longer burdened by their
painful 30-year title drought and have written a new chapter in the
club’s history after they were confirmed as Premier League champions,
manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday.

The Anfield club, who
dominated English soccer in the 1970s and 1980s, last won the old First
Division title in 1990, but have finished as runners-up five times
since.

Liverpool deserved to be crowned Premier
League champions after showing remarkable consistency this season and
Jurgen Klopp’s side are a model for other clubs looking to improve every
year, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuettl said on Friday.

Liverpool’s
first league title in 30 years was confirmed on Thursday when Chelsea
beat second-placed Manchester City to give Klopp’s side an unassailable
23-point lead with seven games left.

Klopp, who took over the Anfield club in the 2015-16 season, steadily improved the side and has since won the Champions League last season followed by the much-awaited league title this year.

“Big congratulations from my side, he did an amazing job,” Hasenhuettl said in a virtual news conference.

“What
he did the last four years there is amazing. It’s kind of a role model
to every other club, what you can do if you develop and if you work on
your weaknesses and try to get better every year. It was a logical step
to become the champion now.

“It wasn’t really so surprising for me
that it will happen this season because it was clear for a long time
that they will be the champion this season. They have shown the most
consistency.”

Southampton, who lost 2-0 to Arsenal on Thursday,
are 14th in the standings ahead of Sunday’s trip to Watford and
Hasenhuettl said Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sofiane Boufal will be
assessed after picking up injuries.

“We’ll need some fresh players
for the weekend,” the Austrian manager said. “Yesterday was intense and
we’ll be against a side fighting for their life.”

Hasenhuettl
also said the club had not yet decided on Kyle Walker-Peters’ future
after Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the 23-year-old defender’s loan at the
south-coast club was extended until the end of the season.

“We
have him on loan here, so we will give him more moments to show up,”
Hasenhuettl added. “We then have to make a decision this summer.”