A football loving Irish schoolboy got a big surprise after he wrote to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to ask them to stop winning games.
Ten-year-old Daragh Curley is a fan of Liverpool’s great rivals Manchester united and like all Red Devils, he has found it hard to watch the Mersey giants run away with the title.
Especially as they have done it with a level of consistency never seen before, even from the great United sides of the past.
Liverpool have won every one of their Premier League games this season – apart from one which saw them have to settle for a draw with United.
It has put them on the verge of their first title for 30 years and it became a bit too much for young Daragh to bear.
The Co Donegal lad decided to take the unusual step of writing to the Liverpool boss as part of a school project.
He told Klopp: “Liverpool are winning too many games. If you win 9 more games then you have the best unbeaten run in English football. Being a United fan that is very sad.
“So the next time Liverpool play please make them lose. You should just let the other team score. I hope I have convinced you to not win the league or any other match again.”
A few weeks later, Daragh’s mam Tricia was at the post office and was told they had a registered letter for him.
It turned out to be a personally signed reply from Klopp, who had written to Darragh to explain that he couldn’t let down Liverpool’s millions of fans around the world.
Klopp wrote: “Unfortunately, on this occasion, I cannot grant your request, not through choice anyway.
“As much as you want Liverpool to lose it is my job to do everything that I can to help Liverpool to win as there are millions of people around the world who want that to happen so I really do not want to let them down.
“Luckily for you, we have lost games in the past and we will lose games in the future because that is football.
“The problem is when you are ten years old you think that things will always be as they are now but if there is one thing I can tell you as 52 years old it is that this most definitely isn’t the case.
“Having read your letter, though, I think I can safely say that one thing that will not change is your passion for football and for your club. Manchester United are lucky to have you.
“I hope that if we are lucky enough to win more games and maybe even lift some more trophies you will not be too disappointed because although our clubs are great rivals we also share a great respect for one another.
“This, to me, is what football is all about. Take care and good luck, Jurgen.”
Daragh’s dad Gordon said: “I’m obviously a Man Utd fan but I have to say I really admire Klopp. What I really liked about the letter to Daragh was that it was personal.
“You could tell by the language that he was using German phrases and that it was a personal response.
“Daragh couldn’t believe it and it was great to be able to bring it into the school and show his teachers and all his friends.”
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling