Liverpool round-up: Seeded in Champions League draw; Klopp reacts to qualification; Sturridge discusses future

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After sealing qualification for Champions League football on Sunday, it has emerged that the club will be seeded in the draw for the qualifier which Liverpool must progress through in order to reach the group stages, say the Liverpool Echo. Borussia Dortmund’s final day victory saw them finish third, allowing Liverpool into the seeded section of the draw.

That means that at present, the Reds could face the likes of Sporting Lisbon, Viktoria Plzen, CSKA Moscow, Club Brugge, Steaua Bucharest, Young Boys, Hoffenheim, Nice, Istanbul Basaksehir or Besiktas, from Turkey, the runners-up in Greece, or any other side who progresses through the qualification rounds.

Jurgen Klopp did not shy away from the fact that his side must progress through the qualifiers and will not take anything for granted, as he told Sky Sports, after the 3-0 win over Middlesbrough that his side were looking forward to being back where they belong in Europe’s elite competition:

“For me it’s the best competition, you want to be there and Liverpool needs to be there consistently. I would not say we’re already in because qualification is qualification, but we’re already looking forward to it. We will be really strong and we will really fight for it because we want to be there… We have to make steps, and make the step for us to be around the best teams in the world, because we are one of the best clubs.”

The club have competed in the Champions League just once since the reign of Rafa Benitez, with Brendan Rodgers in charge as the Reds crashed out at the group stage after failing to beat FC Basel out of the group behind Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, it looks as though striker Daniel Sturridge could have a role to play next season too, as he appeared to say that he was not looking for a way out of the club this summer. Responding to questions about his future, the Liverpool Echo quote him as saying: