Ex-Liverpool midfielder Thiago insists he will carry the lessons he learned from Jurgen Klopp into his own managerial career after making the “difficult” decision to retire last summer.The 34-year-old announced his retirement in July 2024, a matter of weeks after his contract at Anfield expired.The Spain international, who joined the Reds from Bayern Munich in 2020, made just one five-minute appearance for the club during the 2023-24 campaign after being plagued with injuries.After missing more than 130 matches throughout the final four years of his career, Thiago insisted he knew it was the right time to hang his boots up – but that didn’t make it any easier “to let go of something I was in love with”.“After such a long struggle to become a footballer – then to become the footballer I wanted to be – the hardest step was accepting that it was coming to an end,” Thiago told Coaches’ Voice.“It wasn’t difficult because of what would come next, but because I had to let go of something I was in love with, due to circumstances beyond my control.“It was difficult, but I had to find that peace with myself, that acceptance and pride for the career I had.”Since retiring, though, Thiago has taken his first steps into the world of coaching – and is currently the assistant manager of his boyhood club, Barcelona.And the ex-midfielder has admitted he will draw on the tactics and inspiration of ex-Reds boss Jurgen Klopp in his new role at the Nou Camp. “It was where I worked with Jurgen Klopp – someone who exudes energy on a daily basis,” said Thiago.“I was fortunate to be with a manager capable of adapting every possible situation to the team’s favour. We are talking about good situations and not-so-good ones.“With Klopp, there are no bad situations; just moments that need to be channelled in a way that makes them favourable to your team.“And he achieved this through energy, calmness, or even laughter at moments that aren’t expected to be funny. He managed to instil that flow of energy, that direction, so everyone followed him.“Apart from the intensity of the training sessions, the best thing I could pass on from Jurgen to my team is the idea that, even if you only want to focus on working on a specific move, the play never stops – it stays alive.“You can’t run a finishing drill without having an extra ball in case of a rebound, a loss of possession, or if you need to make a transition.“What I took from Jurgen is the intensity that derives from running, passing and being well-positioned.”The Spaniard added: “I could make a long list of all the coaches who have been beneficial throughout my life: Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick, Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, Jupp Heynckes.“I felt the benefit particularly towards the end of my playing days. I don’t know if it was because Jurgen had seen my grey hairs, or because we used part of the time we had on the pitch to talk and lead, but it was Jurgen who told me I was going to be a coach.“When you reach a certain age and begin to notice recurring patterns in a match, you start using them to take shortcuts to create overloads and advantages in the game.“What happens on the pitch isn’t about the individual; it is about the team.“You give the younger players input so they can feel comfortable doing things their own way. “You provide them with more tools than they already have. That is how the curiosity for coaching grows. While still a player, you ask yourself, ‘How can I help my teammates and other athletes?’”“Even if, at the time, you don’t label these moments or new attitudes as coaching. Little by little, that coaching side becomes part of your habits.“‘Okay, I need to perform at my best in this training session, in this match, but I also have time and want to help someone else, a teammate, to do the same.'”