It was 6pm on Tuesday, 90 minutes before kick-off at Anfield, and Jürgen Klopp and James Milner went walkabout. Grinning from ear to ear, they wandered through the crowds, attracting double takes from middle-aged dads and their starstruck children.

Klopp made his way to a stage and told the awestruck supporters gathering in front of him that Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly had been billed as the “people’s match” — a chance to show their supporters that “even though football is getting bigger, this club will never change”.

An hour after Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Torino, Klopp and his players were still pitchside, signing autographs for fans and posing for selfies. It is the type of exercise that the leading Premier League clubs prescribe as a