Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has praised the ‘incredible’ success of Daniel Farke in transforming the fortunes of Norwich City.

Although the German coaches both worked for Borussia Dortmund, their paths haven't crossed before - which will change on Friday night when the Canaries take on the Reds in the Premier League's opening fixture.

"I respect him a lot," Klopp said. "Unfortunately we don't know each other, we were at the same club but at different times. So when I left, he arrived, pretty much the same year I think, he followed on from David Wagner, who went to England as well.

"It's a really interesting story that pretty much all the German managers who work in England, worked before for Borussia Dortmund, that's really funny.

"He's doing an incredible job and a lot of my former players play for him at Norwich, by the way! Mario Vrancic, Zimmermann, Stiepermann - Moritz Leitner, we became champions together in 2011-12, which was really a good time.

"So I'm looking forward to seeing them and meeting Daniel Farke for the first time."

Klopp had Vrancic and Stiepermann at Dortmund as younger players and Leitner was part of the squad which won the Bundesliga in 2011 and was on the bench during the Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich the final year.

Zimmermann was part of Dortmund's second team, playing under Farke in the fourth tier of German football, before both made the move to Norwich in 2017 - and celebrating the Championship title two years later.

Speaking to Australian broadcaster Optus Sport, Klopp continued: "I can say how much I love the way he transformed Norwich because playing the football they played, in one of the most difficult leagues in the world of football - including all of the first leagues.

"The Championship is incredibly difficult, the number of games you have and the style of play of a lot of teams, the intensity of the league and the weather circumstances. You play in periods when everything is against you, even the weather, and you think, wow, and your opponent is coming against you.

"Coming through like the way they came through, that really deserves all respect."