'Jurgen Klopp only wanted to meet me - but I ended up signing for Liverpool on the spot'

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Jurgen Klopp was a magnetic figure at Liverpool - for both players and coaches. The charismatic German transformed the Reds from perennial nearly-men into one of Europe's most dominant and admired sides.

Under Klopp's guidance, they conquered Europe by winning the Champions League and then ended a three-decade wait for the Premier League crown. Tactically, he revolutionised the modern game too - reinventing full-backs as creative outlets and reviving the false nine role as a central attacking weapon.

Off the field, Klopp was equally inventive. He made waves by appointing specialist throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark - a move many initially mocked or doubted. But the gamble paid off handsomely, as Liverpool's quick, precise throw-ins became another hallmark of their relentless style.

For Gronnemark, the call from Klopp came out of nowhere. At the time, very few clubs even considered hiring throw-in experts, let alone one of Liverpool's stature. So when Klopp unexpectedly reached out, he assumed it would be little more than a courtesy chat.

"I got my international breakthrough in 2018 when Jurgen Klopp called me directly on the phone," the Dane told The Athletic FC podcast. "He had read an article about me in a German newspaper and he invited me to Melwood the week after.

"It should only have been a meeting, but he was convinced I had the [ability] to coach Premier League players... the week after I signed a contract."

Gronnemark would go on to spend five seasons working with Liverpool, helping shape one of the most successful eras in the club's history. Having spent much of his career freelancing between teams, Klopp's trust offered him rare stability - and a defining moment in his coaching journey.

His appointment also helped popularise a new footballing trend: specialist set-piece coaching. Other top clubs have since embraced the concept, with Arsenal mastering dead-ball situations in recent years, but Gronnemark believes throw-in coaching remains underused.

"My job is niche because only one or two people are doing it, but actually it shouldn't be niche," he insisted. "It should be mainstream because you have 40-60 throw-ins a match and you're spending around 20 minutes a match on throw-ins and throw-in-related situations, so actually you should have thousands of coaches who are educated in throw-ins.

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"While others laughed, and others said it was a small thing, I just kept improving myself and getting more and more knowledge, improving my coaching, making new drills, looking at different opponents. It meant I had a big head-start."

Many wrongly assume that throw-in coaches simply teach players to hurl the ball long distances. Gronnemark did once hold the Guinness World Record for the longest throw-in, but his methods are more focused on speed, precision, and intelligent short throws that maintain possession and unsettle opponents.

"In some clubs I coached the long throw-ins and I'm very successful with those clubs like FC Midtjylland and Brentford," he said. "But in most of my clubs like Liverpool, Ajax, Dortmund and many others, it's what I like to call the fast and clever throw-ins.

"So a lot of people think throw-in coaching [is] long throw-ins [and they think], 'We don't want to do that, so forget about it.' No. Throw-in coaching should be for all teams - of course, for the best level in the world, but also for youth and amateur teams too, because it has the same consequence."

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Gronnemark had played football up to under-19 level, but after realising he wouldn't reach the top tier, he switched to athletics - and later, bobsleigh. During a friendly match between the Danish and German bobsleigh squads, he uncovered a unique skill: a throw-in of astonishing length that amazed everyone watching.

"I thought then: 'If I can make a good throw-in myself, can I teach other players to do it?' he told Liverpool's club website in 2021.

At first, his work focused exclusively on long throws. But after analysing how frequently teams lost the ball from short throw-ins, even at elite level, he built a new approach - one that would later define his success.

"I started watching and analysing games and was horrified because I found out that most teams kept possession on only 50 per cent of the occasions when they had a throw-in under pressure. I couldn't believe it," he said. "From the 2006/07 season, I started developing what I call the 'long, fast and clever' throw-in philosophy."

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Roughly a decade later, Klopp handed him his chance. Backed by Liverpool's progressive mindset, Gronnemark finally had the platform to prove the value of his craft. "The atmosphere in the whole club, and also the team, is very kind. They are very open-minded," he added.

"I told the guys in that first session: 'There are between 40 and 60 throw-ins in a match and most teams lose the ball more than half the time they have a throw-in under pressure. If you had the same percentage with your feet, you'd only be playing Sunday league football.'

"Imagine a midfielder with a pass percentage of only 35 - you would say, 'horrible!' But with throw-ins that was kind of accepted. I also said to the team, 'I am not going to make you into a long-throw team, we are not going to take a lot of long throw-ins towards the opposition goal', because that could have been a fear for some of the players.

"Afterwards, Jurgen said to the team: 'One of our biggest weaknesses was throw-ins and I am 100 per cent sure that Thomas can help us.' These really fantastic players, all really motivated and ambitious - they heard what Jurgen was saying and thought: 'We have a weakness and here is someone who can help us.'

"I can only be happy with the level of open-mindedness and motivation I have found with the players and staff here at Liverpool."

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