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A personal plea from Jurgen Klopp has helped Liverpool successfully secure a work permit for new boy Marko Grujic .

The Reds boss travelled to Manchester for today’s hearing at a Manchester hotel where he appeared in front of a three-man Football Association panel.

Young Serbian midfielder Grujic, who cost Liverpool £5.1million from Red Star Belgrade in January, didn’t automatically qualify for a work permit under current regulations.

However, the FA were receptive to the Reds’ case and they have given the green light for the 20-year-old to begin his Reds career.

Key to that decision was the testimony of Klopp himself who underlined to the panel how highly he rates Grujic and spoke about his importance and value to the club as they head into the 2016/17 campaign.

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With the governing body’s endorsement, Grujic now has permission to work in England so therefore qualifies for a permit from the Home Office.

Grujic, who remained on loan at Red Star until the end of last season, will need to leave the country later this week and then re-enter the UK. As a result the first signing of Klopp’s reign might not feature in Friday night’s opening friendly of the summer against Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.

Securing the permit will be a source of relief for Anfield officials, who would have had little option but to loan him out for the coming season if they had been denied a permit.

The last time a delegation from Liverpool appeared in front of a work permit hearing it was when they successfully secured one for Philippe Coutinho in January 2013.

The club have further confirmed that the young Serbian will wear number 16 at Anfield, a number last worn by Sebastian Coates and previously held by the likes of Dietmar Hamann and Michael Thomas.