Jurgen Klopp reunited with lifelong Liverpool fan Sean Cox in a heartwarming moment at Anfield on Sunday following the Reds’ 2-1 victory against Brighton.
Mr Cox, of Dunboyne in County Meath, Ireland, was assaulted by a Roma supporter outside Anfield in April 2018.
He was making his way to the match when he was the victim of an unprovoked attack, which left him with life-changing injuries. Mr Cox had suffered a serious brain injury and has been forced to learn to walk again after the incident.
On Sunday, he travelled with his family from Ireland to watch the Reds go to the top of the Premier League, after Mohamed Salah’s second-half winner sealed victory against the Seagulls.
In a video posted on Liverpool’s X (formerly Twitter) account, the German football manager was seen smiling and walking towards the Liverpool fan and his family who were standing next to the tunnel at the football stadium.
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fan Sean Cox reunited at Anfield in a heartwarming moment
The pair met in the stadium’s tunnel after Liverpool had beaten Brighton 2-1 on Sunday
Mr Cox rises to his feet with the assistance of his family before the pair embraced with a hug.
The Reds manager was also seen speaking quietly to the supporter and can be overheard in the video saying: ‘So happy to see you,’ before shaking his hand.
The pair have met before, with the German, who announced earlier this season that he would be leaving the club this summer, posing for a picture with Mr Cox back in 2019 at Anfield.
The assault had left the Liverpool fan in a coma for six weeks, with Mr Cox undergoing extensive rehabilitation at the Walton Centre in Liverpool before being transferred to a Dublin hospital. He returned home to Dunboyne in March 2020.
Liverpool”s players have previously honoured the supporter, holding up a banner that read: ‘Sean Cox, You’ll Never Walk Alone’ after they beat Roma in the away fixture of their Champions League tie in May 2018.
Liverpool fans have also contributed to help raise over £1.6million (€1.9m) to help aid Mr Cox’s recovery.
Klopp also notably made a £4,500 (€5,000) donation to the Support Sean appeal in 2018, while Everton captain Seamus Coleman also donated £4,500 to the appeal.
He has also recently been seen using an exoskeleton to help him walk again. The exoskeleton is a supportive device used to help people with reduced mobility walk.
The manager was seen shaking hands with Mr Cox and giving him a hug after the match
Klopp can be overheard in the video saying: ‘So happy to see you,’ as he spoke with Mr Cox
Liverpool’s players displayed a banner of support for Mr Cox after he was assaulted in 2018
His wife, Martina, said that her husband still loves going to Anfield to watch Liverpool play, telling the BBC: ‘It’s like a tonic for Sean, it really is.’
A friend of Mr Cox’s family, Stephen Felle, told the Irish Independent: ‘Jurgen’s taken huge personal interest in Sean’s story. When Martina wrote a book a few years ago he launched it with Matt Cooper on The Last Word.’
‘He’s been a genuinely interested party in Sean’s story and the club have a standing invitation for the last three or four years.’
Simone Mastrelli had pleaded guilty to attacking Cox and was subsequently jailed for three-and-a-half years in 2019.
