Canongate scores Neil Atkinson’s book on Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC

Canongate has snapped up a book on Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC by Neil Atkinson, presenter and c.e.o. at The Anfield Wrap, a digital media platform dedicated to the club. 

Jamie Byng, c.e.o. of Canongate, acquired world rights to Transformer: Klopp, the Revolution of a Club and Culture by Neil Atkinson, from David Luxton at David Luxton Associates. The book will be published on 26th September 2024.

The synopsis reads: “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 extraordinary outpouring of grief from his adopted city. ‘The Anfield Wrap’ has followed Liverpool through his nine remarkable years, 10 cup finals, and eight trophies, and now the ‘normal one’ is finally set to return to a normal life.”

It adds: “Neil Atkinson, host of ‘The Anfield Wrap’, tells the story of this transformative period with a passion, zeal and humour befitting of the man himself. Structured around the 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 has changed the club and the city of Liverpool forever.”

Atkinson said: “Jürgen Klopp managed to change the perception of football and Liverpool FC itself in the city of Liverpool and around the world. Having produced around 10,000 shows in terms of both audio and video at ‘The Anfield Wrap’ since he arrived in October 2015, and having written about every game he has managed and every sea change in English and European football, I wanted to take the chance to reflect on what he has changed, what he has reminded us of and the journey he has taken us on.”

Byng added: “Like all Liverpool fans, I have watched with awe and delight the manner in which Klopp has transformed Liverpool FC these past nine years. But setting aside the many remarkable matches and performances, it is the way Klopp talks about life, people, football, loss, pain and joy that make his time at Anfield transcend the typical managerial spell. And there is no one I would rather read on the subjects of Klopp and the Reds than Neil Atkinson, who combines knowledge with humour and passion with compassion in a way that does justice to both.”