Faf du Plessis reveals how he became an instant fan of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after meeting him

South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis will hope to better his captaincy records in the upcoming Test series against England starting in Centurion on Boxing Day. The veteran cricketer had a terrible tour of India recently where his side lost a three-match series 0-3 with two of those being innings defeats. The Proteas, who are witnessing a turmoil in their cricket administration at the moment, will now take on a powerful England in four Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Du Plessis spoke to the media on the eve of the first Test where he revealed how he became an instant fan of Liverpool football manager Jurgen Klopp while meeting him by chance last month. It so happened that du Plessis had gone for dinner with Siya Kolisi, the captain of South Africa’s national rugby team, in a restaurant in Cape Town and there they bumped into Klopp who was on a private visit to South Africa. Du Plessis shared a rapport with Kolisi and both were bowled over by Klopp.

Kolisi is a supporter of the reigning UEFA Champions League holders and getting to meet the 52-year-old German tactician was a mega moment for him. He had also met Klopp days after South Africa beat England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan. Klopp recognised Kolisi and even came forward to congratulate him.

Jurgen Klopp told Faf du Plessis that he watches cricket

The Liverpool manager, however, did not recognise du Plessis in their Cape Town meeting and it was revealed by the Proteas cricket captain when asked by a journalist. He said “no” while replying and burst into laughter. “But he said he watches cricket. The Liverpool guys watched the Cricket World Cup and saw how well England did,” the 35-year-old added.

Du Plessis also said that he was never a big fan of football but his meeting with Klopp made a changing impact. “For someone to be that famous, he is a great guy and that’s what I believe real leadership is about. It’s about connecting with people, having great relationships with people, so I became a massive fan,” he said.

Rivals in Tests since 1888, South Africa and England are locking horns on SA soil after 2015-16 when the visitors won the series 2-1. The last time the Proteas won a home Test series against the Three Lions was in 1999-2000. They have won two Test series thereafter and both have been in England. The Centurion Test will be the 150th between the two teams with England having a 61-33 lead at the moment while 55 matches ended in draws.

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