Forgotten Liverpool player spotted at Jurgen Klopp’s farewell speech with fans surprised to see him

A forgotten Liverpool player was spotted at Jurgen Klopp’s farewell speech as Reds manager alongside the rest of the first-team squad.

Reds stars made up a guard of honour for Klopp, his departing backroom staff members, and first-team players Thiago and Joel Matip, who are all leaving the club.

Younger players such as Jayden Danns and Conor Bradley, who have both played their part in Liverpool’s successes this season, were also present at Anfield. Most of Liverpool’s loan contingent, though, were not present, with loan contracts typically running until the end of May. There was one notable exception, though, as center-back Nathaniel Phillips was spotted standing next to Klopp at one point during the German’s farewell.

The 27-year-old played 17 games in Liverpool’s 2020/21 season amid an injury crisis in central defense and helped the Reds qualify for the following season’s Champions League. But he has only played two league games for the Reds since then, having had numerous loan spells. Bournemouth and Celtic have both signed the defender on temporary deals since then, with Phillips spending the second part of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Championship side Cardiff City.

The Championship season finished considerably earlier than the Premier League did, with the final games of the regular campaign being played on May 4. That meant he was able to return to Anfield for Klopp’s farewell ceremony, even though he was not eligible to play as he isn’t registered in Liverpool’s Premier League squad.

Fans reacted to spotting the Reds academy graduate on social media, with one writing: “Out of everything from the Klopp ceremony, I didn’t have Nat Phillips turning up on the pitch on my bingo card.” A second wrote: “When did Nat Phillips get there?” A third added: “I forgot Nat Phillips was still at the club.”

Phillips has hugely impressed during his time in Wales and has spoken of his desire to return to Cardiff, who also have ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey on the books, next season. “I’ve got two [years on my contract] actually at Liverpool,” he told Wales Online. “There’s a lot of change going on at Liverpool, so there’s a lot up in the air there. They’ve got a lot to sort out themselves. I’d certainly consider a return to Cardiff. I’ve enjoyed my time here, I’ve enjoyed playing regularly. I want to continue playing regular football and enjoying my football. Any time you move clubs, a lot is up in the air. I’ve done it a few times with loans, so I would say I’m more accustomed to it than some people are.”