Transformer - by Neil Atkinson

Book Synopsis

'Does anyone in this room think that I can do wonders? I'm a normal guy from the Black Forest... I am the "normal one"' Jurgen Klopp, 9 October 2015

Jürgen Klopp's announcement in January 2024 that he was to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season would see an unprecedented outpouring of grief from his adopted city. The Anfield Wrap has followed Liverpool through nine remarkable years, ten cup finals, and eight trophies, and now the 'normal one' is finally set to return to a normal life.

But the story of Klopp and Liverpool is a special one. A city haunted by tragedy and economic hardship rapidly found itself reinvigorated and redrawn by one man's philosophy, and an approach to life and football that was driven by joy, passion and inclusivity. Klopp's arrival led not only to spectacular footballing success, but also saw Liverpool itself becoming more culturally relevant than at any point since the height of Beatlemania.

Neil Atkinson, host of The Anfield Wrap, tells the story of this unique relationship with a passion, zeal and humour befitting of the man himself. Structured around nineteen notable games in Klopp's Liverpool career, Atkinson expertly weaves the personal and the political into this retelling of one of football's most improbable journeys, one that would change both the landscape of the sport and the city of Liverpool forever.

Review Quotes

"I was absolutely stunned by Transformer. It's so joyously discursive - as if Tristram Shandy had written a football book! Maybe dribbling is a better metaphor - as if Maradona's dribbling skills were translated into words. I honestly felt humbled reading it"--FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE

"Transformer is a great book on Jürgen Klopp from Mr Atkinson! As you'd expect as Neil has been a huge transformer himself in taking the fanzine days of the '80s and '90s into the digital and visual content that is The Anfield Wrap of today. A must-read for all Reds"--JAMIE CARRAGHER

"Neil's ability to fuse emotion with cultural meaning and speak to the very heart of what Liverpool stands for is unique"--MELISSA REDDY

"Jurgen Klopp is a perfect fit, an ideal match for Liverpool. An outsider who 'got' the club and the city in the same way that Shankly and Dalglish did, and who now belongs in this sentence with them simply because he did. It will take a Scouser and a Red to appreciate and capture this divine connection and the 9 years of unique excitement it sparked. Nobody is better placed to provide that insight than Neil Atkinson"--CLIVE TYLDESLEY

"Nobody writes about football like Neil Atkinson. A compelling and perceptive voice, not just on Liverpool but on the game itself, its motives, its meanings and its place in our lives"--JONATHAN LIEW

About the Author

Neil Atkinson is a Liverpool-based writer and the CEO of The Anfield Wrap, a highly popular media collective dedicated to Liverpool FC. An avid Liverpool supporter, Atkinson has co-authored the books Make Us Dream and Red Letters, and has written for the Guardian, the Independent and the Liverpool Echo. Atkinson has also appeared on BBC Breakfast, Football Focus, Sky Sports, BT Sports and more.

@Knox_Harrington