Jurgen Klopp has been named the LMA Manager of the Year for 2020.
Klopp faced stern competition from Chris Wilder for the accolade which the Sheffield United boss won little more than 12 months previously.
But the German’s fellow coaches voted him the most deserving candidate after guiding Liverpool to their first Premier League title in over 30 years.
Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson announced Klopp as the winner on Monday and hailed the manner of Anfield’s end to its domestic drought.
He said: “Jurgen, fantastic. We speak about Leeds spending 16 years in the Championship, but Liverpool 30 years since winning that league, incredible.
“You thoroughly deserved it, but the performance level of your team was outstanding. Your personality runs right throughout the whole club. It was a marvellous performance.
“I’ll forgive you for waking me up at 3.30am to tell me you have won the league! Thank you, but anyway, you thoroughly deserved it. Well done.”
Klopp reciprocated Ferguson’s glowing tribute while also acknowledging several of his Anfield predecessors who have won Manager of the Year.
“I’m absolutely delighted to get this wonderful trophy. It’s really wonderful. I saw already the names of who won it before,” he said.
“Obviously some big, big Liverpool names, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny [Dalglish] looks like he’s all over the trophy! Brendan [Rodgers], well deserved.
“And Sir Alex Ferguson, and I know it’s not 100 per cent appropriate as Liverpool manager but I admire him so much. He’s the first British manager I met.
“We had breakfast together it was so long ago I don’t know if he remembers it but for me it was like meeting the Pope!
“It was absolutely great. From the first second we really clicked. I wouldn’t have thought in that moment id hold a trophy in my hands with his name.
“I am here on behalf of my coaches, I say that a lot of times but I’m okay as a manager.
“But they make us a really special bunch of football brains and I love to work together with them.”