Now Red Bull's global football director, Klopp is regarded as a modern day coaching great.
However, avoiding naming himself, Klopp offered his thoughts on the greatest to work the touchline.
"This is my Mount Rushmore of football coaches and actually four is really difficult to do, but I try anyway," Klopp began in a social media post. "Johan Cruyff, (the) most influential football coach I have ever heard of. The way he saw football, the way he understood football, is just second to none.
"Pep Guardiola, you could say exactly the same about him, and I faced him and know how difficult it was."
Manchester United and Premier League legend Ferguson was next to be named.
"Now it gets really tricky," Klopp continued. "Let's go to the most successful (manager of all time) and a guy I really like as well, Sir Alex Ferguson."
Resisting the likes of Jose Mourinho and Rinus Michels, Klopp also wanted to include a Liverpool identity.
"And now I barely can decide," he continued. "Carlo Ancelotti is in my mind, obviously. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, I heard so much about them, never saw them.
"But yes, I want to see Bill Shankly on the Mount Rushmore. That's it."