The six players banned from touching ‘This is Anfield’ sign under Jurgen Klopp’s rules at Liverpool

• Red Devils striker sparked controversy
• Iconic plaque in tunnel on Merseyside
• Coach only wants winners to touch it

WHAT HAPPENED? The Manchester United striker, who told GOAL back in 2020 that he “always found Liverpool very special” and still gets “goosebumps from You’ll Never Walk Alone”, upset some Red Devils supporters when touching the famous plaque prior to a humbling 7-0 defeat for Erik ten Hag’s side on Merseyside.

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WHAT THEY SAID: It may, however, be that a number of players in the Anfield ranks are barred from placing their hands on the same tunnel sign. Back in 2016, during the early days of his Liverpool reign, Klopp said: “I’ve told my players not to touch the ‘This Is Anfield’ sign until they win something! It's a sign of respect. I touched it when I was manager of Borussia Dortmund, but we lost 4-0.”

WHO WOULD BE BANNED FROM TOUCHING THE SIGN? As things stand, six members of the senior Liverpool squad would be barred from touching the ‘This is Anfield’ sign, as they are yet to win a trophy with the Reds. Those men are January signing Cody Gakpo, Scottish defender Calvin Ramsay, loan star Arthur Melo, combative centre-half Nat Phillips, home-grown defender Rhys Williams and exciting Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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Getty

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho, who joined Liverpool in the summer of 2022, were able to help the Reds to Community Shield glory in their first outings for Klopp’s side – with so-called ‘lesser’ silverware still delivering winners’ medals.

WHAT'S NEXT: It is looking unlikely that Liverpool will be getting their hands on any more prizes this season, as they battle for a top-four finish and face up to a last-16 exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, meaning that six members of their ranks will have to wait a little longer before receiving sign-touching clearance.