Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has claimed that Jurgen Klopp was at the top of the club's wishlist when they began hunting for a new manager.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss, who left the German club at the end of last season, was officially appointed as Liverpool's new manager on Thursday night.

Klopp comes in just five days after Brendan Rodgers was sacked following a three-year spell in which he failed to win a trophy.

"When we set out to find a replacement for Brendan, it was important we found somebody that fitted the bill completely," Ayre told the club's official website. "We met as a group, the owners and myself, and talked about the attributes we would want in the next Liverpool manager and all of the ambition and things we want to achieve as a club.

"His name rose to the top in terms of the attributes he has and what we believe he can bring, and the sort of person he is. Having got all of those boxes ticked, it was then about getting Jurgen and I'm pleased to say we achieved that.

"When we started the dialogue with him, it was interesting going through the process that one of the comments he made was that this was the job that would bring him out of his sabbatical - there was no other job that would bring him out of his sabbatical. So we made the call at the right time and got the right result."

Klopp, who has claimed that he will make the team play at "full throttle", will take charge of his first game against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on October 17.