Klopp discusses 'cheeky' fan mail after telling Man Utd supporter he cannot make Liverpool lose

The cheekiness of a 10-year-old Manchester United fan's request for him to make Liverpool lose prompted a response from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Daragh Curley, an Irish United supporter, wrote to Klopp asking him to halt Liverpool's stunning march towards a first Premier League title.

"I hope I have convinced you to not win the league or any other match ever again," Curley said, with United's rivals 22 points clear at the summit.

While Klopp insisted he could not grant the plea, the former Borussia Dortmund coach sent a reply.

"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," he wrote.

Klopp said Curley's letter was a good idea when asked about the exchange in a news conference on Friday, although he was slightly disappointed the private message had been widely reported.

"I can't answer all the letters, and I get a lot," he said. "It was just nice, it was nice, it was cheeky. We had time that day, so I read the letter and I replied.

"It's how the world is now that it's a private thing, I get the letter, I respond, and the next day it's in the newspaper. I don't like that too much, but all fine.

"I have no problem with supporters of other clubs. I know it's a free world so we can choose our club. I don't think everybody has to be a Liverpool fan.

"I like working for Liverpool and I like the rivalry we have, but I love even more if we can keep that on the pitch. Apart from that, they can be happy and we should be happy.

"I hope Daragh is now happy. He looked it on the picture I saw later.

"He's 10 years old. It came all together - he's cheeky, 10 years old, which I think is a nice age to start being cheeky.

"It was smart, as well. I thought it was a good idea. Try it, why not?

"We try to respond to as many as possible, but it's just not possible. At the moment, we're obviously in a positive period. That means the letters are pretty much all friendly, but we still cannot reply to all of them.

"I think the people know that, they write, 'I know you cannot respond'. I read them, nearly all of them.

"I do not open them - someone reads them before and gives them to me, so there are probably a few that are not that nice that I don't see. But that's all cool."