Jurgen Klopp says Jorg Schmadtke is a ‘good guy and a smart guy’ (Liverpool/Getty)

Jurgen Klopp has described Liverpool’s potential new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke as a ‘good guy and a smart guy’.

Schmadtke left Wolfsburg in February after four years with the Bundesliga club and is expected to replace Julian Ward at Anfield this summer.

Ahead of the 59-year-old’s arrival at Liverpool, Klopp insists his fellow German has been ‘very, very successful’ with his work in the Bundesliga.

When asked about Schmadtke’s potential move to Liverpool, Klopp said: ‘I cannot speak about that but if it happens it would not be a ‘Jurgen Klopp signing’ because we are both German or both know each other.

‘That would have nothing to do with it.

‘Jorg Schmadtke I’ve known for a long, long time, he probably knows me not as long as I know him because he was a much better player but we started in a similar moment, our ‘second career’, I became a coach at Mainz and he became a sporting director at Aachen, two teams at similar stages, from there we’ve known each other a little bit.

‘I know he’s a good guy and a smart guy. Very good at what he did in Germany, definitely, very, very successful.

‘Character is good, personality is good, humour good, I know that from a few moments next to the pitch.

More: Trending

‘We could talk about [Klopp’s former sporting director at Borussia Dortmund] Michael Zorc… similar age group, similar situation, just a bit longer in retirement I know him much better.

‘There are some good sporting directors in Germany you might not believe.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

‘Very good at what he did in Germany, definitely, very, very successful.’