Jurgen Klopp is Bill Shankly "reincarnated in a German body", according to former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.

Liverpool clinched their first top-flight title since 1990, when Grobbelaar was part of the team, after Manchester City fell to a 2-1 loss at Chelsea on Thursday.

It is Klopp's fourth trophy since arriving at Anfield in 2015, having also won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Shankly steered Liverpool out of the second tier in 1961-62 and went on to lift three top-flight titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup during 15 years at the helm, during which he enjoyed a strong relationship with the supporters.

Grobbelaar thinks Klopp has the same understanding of the fanbase, making the club's latest triumph special.

He told Stats Perform News of Klopp: "He gets the people, he gets the fans. He's Shankly reincarnated in a German body. That's how good he is, because he gets the fans so easily.

"He goes into the city, he enjoys the banter with the fans. He is a typical Liverpool manager.

"And, yes, all the managers that we've had have been typical Liverpool managers, but the special ones - Shankly, Klopp - managed to go out and have drinks with the fans, that's what those two managers did.

"That's why I say he's Shankly reincarnated in a German body."

Liverpool lost the 2017-18 Champions League final to Real Madrid but then won that competition and finished second to City in the Premier League last term.

Grobbelaar hailed Klopp's ability to get more out of his players every year and hopes he can do the same with upcoming youngsters.

"He came in and said that he would win a trophy in four years; now we've got four trophies in those four years," said Grobbelaar.

"He makes players better. If you go back to where he came from, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, the players that he had there have gone on to bigger things, he's made them better. So wherever he's been the players have actually elevated themselves.

"He's now come to Liverpool, he's made the players elevate themselves and made sure we got over the line in every single competition that we're in, made sure that we got better.

"We won the Champions League after losing in the final, so we got better. We won the league after coming second and only losing once last season, so we got better in that.

"He demands the players every single season get better. Every time we get on the pitch the old adage in saying, 'You're only as good as your last game, make sure you're better this one'. That is what he's instilled into our team, and it's just phenomenal."

Grobbelaar added: "Please keep [Klopp] there for seven years and all the rest of the players because I tell you what, we've got some youngsters coming through that are going to get into the side and they are going to be brilliant."