'I was late for Liverpool training and had huge row with boss - he banished me from squad'

One former Liverpool star found himself frozen out at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp took no prisoners at Liverpool - with Mamadou Sakho knowing that first-hand after he was banished from the club. The Frenchman joined the Premier League side in 2013 following an £18million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and almost won the league title under Brendan Rodgers in his debut season.

It was two-and-a-half years later that the Northern Irishman was sacked with Klopp being appointed his replacement. Sakho had signed a new long-term deal at Liverpool a month before the German's arrival and looked set to play a key role in Klopp's transformation of the team, or so he thought.

It was the following summer in Klopp's first pre-season with Liverpool that spelled the beginning of the end for Sakho after he was sent home from a pre-season in the United States. The defender was accused of being late for a flight, a team meal and a treatment session.

Explaining his decision to send him back to Merseyside, Klopp at the time said: "I thought maybe it made sense for him to fly home to Liverpool and after eight or 10 days, when we come back, we can talk about it. It's not that serious.

"He nearly missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session and was late for a meal. We have some rules and we have to respect them. If somebody doesn't respect it or somebody gives me the feeling he is not respecting it, then I have to react, that's all.

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"It is private how he reacted. But we had no argument. You cannot argue when only one person is speaking. That's all. I think missed a session is missed a session. Even injured players have sessions."

Upon the beginning of the 2016/17 season, Sakho remained banished from the first team and was forced to train with the under-23 squad. He voiced his displeasure with his demotion, opting to air his grievances on his Snapchat account at 3am one time.

He posted: “Now it's three weeks I am fit to play games. They don't want me to play with segonde (segondo, U23s) team lol. Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want to speak on the pitch....I will speak soon for the people who support me and don't understand the situation (emoji).

“Still happy to live in my Liverpool Country (emoji) with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to always do! I accept my situation but I can't accept the lie....the fans deserve to know the true! Thanks for your support (emoji) 6 six months stay quiet. Have good night everybody! You'll never walk alone! (emoji)."

Sakho never again played for Liverpool and was sent out on loan to Crystal Palace in January 2017 before later securing a permanent move to south London. He admitted his fault when speaking to Canal Football Club, admitting: "It is true that I turned up late. There was a rule that I should have observed. I do not at all see myself as above the rules, I respect everyone.

"I paid my fine, I was sanctioned, I apologised to my team-mates and my manager. Aside from that… I do not want to go into the controversies." It was earlier this year that Sakho opened up about the respect he still holds for Klopp, but revealed there are details surrounding his banishment that he has kept secret.

He told the Liverpool Echo: "Good relationship because I'm not a negative man. I always respect. I like his type of football." When addressing his lack of punctuality and antics on Snapchat, Sakho explained: "Seriously, because a player is late to eat, the time's 7.15 and he comes at 7.18, now he leaves the club? Come on.

"What I wrote (on Snapchat) was the truth. But the truth always takes the stairs and the lie takes the elevator. You have football that people see, and you have few things inside but they cannot talk about it. So I always keep it for me as a man and that's it.

"I never talk and I would not speak for the moment because it's not important. I really enjoy my time in Liverpool. I will speak about it one day, of course. Of course one day I will speak. But not now, it is not the right moment."

Sakho could be an eager viewer of Liverpool's EFL Cup clash against Crystal Palace tonight. The Eagles have already beaten Arne Slot's side twice this season and will certainly fancy their chances against an out of form Reds side.

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