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Sunday 21 June 2020 07:05, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he was worried the Premier League season would be declared null and void because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Klopp's team were 25 points clear at the top of the table and set to end their 30-year wait for the title when the season was suspended in March.
Liverpool resume their campaign against Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, and need just six more points to guarantee their first league title since the 1989-90 season.
When asked if he had worried about the season being cancelled during the coronavirus lockdown, Klopp said: "Honestly, yes.
"When we went into lockdown I didn't think about it for a second at all because it was not important at that moment.
"I became worried when people started talking about null and void. It was like 'wow!' I really felt it physically. That would have been really, really, really hard.
"You don't expect to get it as a present. We didn't want to have it on a points-per-game basis, so we were really happy when it was decided that we can play again.
"But there were moments. With how long the discussions were, some people brought it up from time to time for different reasons, but when that was taken off the table I was quite relieved.
"If it was done on points-per-game and we couldn't have played then we would probably be champions now but we aren't, we have to play for it.
"That's great, that's how it should be in sport and now we will go for it."
Liverpool will face Everton behind closed doors this weekend and Klopp believes his players are well prepared for what is set to be an unusual atmosphere at Goodison Park.
"It is different but we cannot change that. We have to use the circumstances and not suffer from them," he said.
"There is a game between Everton and Liverpool which is still a derby and important for both teams for different reasons and that is what we are looking forward to.
"We have tried to get used to the circumstances during the training period, over the last four weeks, with playing one proper test game against Blackburn and two internal matches.
"It looked like football and that is very important."
Klopp added: "It is not the perfect situation but it is as good as possible. I will not miss it during the game because I know already it is not there.
"But I am really looking forward to when the crowd will be back."
Klopp says he is proud of the role footballers have played in their communities during the lockdown.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and team-mate James Milner helped to launch a crisis fund to support the NHS, while Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford successfully pressured the government into extending its free school meals voucher scheme over the summer holidays.
"What Hendo and the players did during the lockdown, I'm proud of them but not surprised because I know that the players do a lot of things without really talking about it," said Klopp.
"That is what makes me proud, so I was not surprised that the players would be immediately ready to help in this difficult time.
"And then with what Marcus Rashford did, I couldn't respect it more. It is unbelievable.
"It is a little bit of a shame that he had to do it because things should be natural but there was something to do and he did the job in an incredible manner.
"What he did during lockdown was fantastic."
Sky Sports are broadcasting 64 live Premier League games for the 2019/20 season resumption. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches are being broadcast on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
To celebrate the return of the Premier League, Sky Sports have also launched a host of innovative new features and updates to give fans an even more immersive experience and share the moments live with family and friends on virtual platforms.
