Break brought welcome respite for players, says Klopp

The first ever Premier League mid-season break pleased Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp as it allowed the runaway leaders to rest their aches and pains following the hectic festive period.

The 52-year-old German takes his players to bottom-placed Norwich on Saturday holding a 22 point lead over two-time defending champions Manchester City.

Klopp said the break will have done his squad the world of good as he knew from his own playing experience.

"I was a player myself. When I look back it feels like I played through 80 percent of the time with pain," he said at his eve of match press conference.

"Nobody appreciated that because I played bad so it didn't help. Nobody asked then. It is completely normal for a professional football player to play through pain.

"After that long period in December-January, there was no player in the squad who had no pain. Everybody had something."
"We have some good options. Hopefully it stays like this for the rest of the season."