THE DANISH BOOT ROOM

In the Anfield dugout tonight...the opposition’s kit man who loves Liverpool so much he’s got a Liver bird tattoo and has built a Kop shrine at the Denmark minnows founded just 21 years ago

WHEN the Champions League group stage was drawn, Midtjylland gathered staff together to witness a historic moment for the little Danish club.

There was one name above all they wanted: Liverpool . In Denmark, they are still the No.1 English club, followed with a passion because of a longstanding connection.

So the noise when Jurgen Klopp’s side were pulled out of the hat alongside them was explosive. And no one cheered louder than kit man Jorgen Kjaer. He is the fath er of national team captain Simon Kjaer, and a massive Red.

His kit room at the club’s HQ is practically “a shrine” to the

Merseysiders, according to Midtjylland chairman Rasmus Ankersen. “His kit room is only Liverpool as he is a massive Liverpool fan – he cried when he saw the draw here because this is obviously a very, very big thing for him to go to Anfield.

“There are a few Midtjylland shirts in there but Liverpool shirts are all over the room. A big, big moment for him was last year – a Europa League qualifier against Glasgow Rangers and he had a chance to meet Steven Gerrard ,

Liverpool legend.” Jorgen will make no attempt to hide his devotion to Liverpool, even as he lays out the away kit in the Anfield dressing room tonight. He has a tattoo with the club crest and six stars to spell out their Champions League pedigree.

That shows the size of the task this tiny club from central Jutland face in their f i r st experience of the group stages.

And according to Ankersen (right), there is no name anyone at the club – or even in the country – wanted more, because of the historic connections with Liverpool stretching back to the 1960s. Support in Denmark is so strong, it prompted one of the country’s biggest companies, Carlsberg, to sponsor the Reds for years.

“There’s a massive Liverpool following in Denmark. When we had the draw for the group stages, we invited executive and board members of Midtjylland of the last 21 years. We took them to a restaurant in the city and we watched the draw together,” he said.

“When Liverpool came out, there was a big celebration. People were in very good spirits. Most of the guys here are able to remember what happened in the 70s and 80s, when they became huge in the country.

“A lot of people in Denmark in our area have two clubs they support and that’s Midtjylland and Liverpool.”

Not that the Danes will arrive a t Anf i e l d a s st a r - st r u c k tourists. They played Manchester United i n the Europa League in 2016 and produced a stunning victory in the home leg, but lost the return to go out.

And the proud chairman, also director of football at Brentford, added: “We go there with a lot of humility, but we also have to go there with a lot of confidence.”

History is on their side at least. The last time the Reds faced Danish opposition in Europe was against Brondby in the UEFA Cup in 1995.

They lost to the part-timers 1-0 on aggregate.