Neil Critchley was able to get a front-row view of how Jurgen Klopp brought the Premier League title to Liverpool - and is aiming to replicate one aspect of that success at Heart of Midlothian.

Due to fixture congestion and a mid-season break, the new Hearts head coach stood in for the German twice during the season the Anfield club won their first league title in 30 years.

Critchley had nearly five years at Liverpool alongside Klopp and his biggest takeaway, or best bit of advice, from that time was "to be yourself".

"I think one of his greatest strengths is his authenticity, what you see is what you get," he explained. "He just had a way of speaking to people and dealing with people which I thought was fantastic.

"That's why he created an environment that was unique and very special. I think they got the success, not just because of the quality of the players that were there, but also because of the human aspect. I thought there was no better than him in producing that."

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Liverpool were once renowned for the Anfield boot room, famed for producing the club's next managers. It would be a meeting place for coaches at the club to talk.

In recent years, there have been a number of people within Liverpool who have worked alongside, under, or been influenced by Klopp who have since gone into management. Including Critchley.

He spoke of the person behind the football or coach and how he wants to bring that to Tynecastle Park.

"I wasn't there all the time, every day, but I lived it and I had enough experiences of being around it, speaking to him to know that it was something special," he said.

"It sounds a bit cheesy or corny, but they're good people. The players were a good group of people, humble, hardworking, and you can't play for Jürgen Klopp in one of his teams if you don't have certain characteristics.

"That's what I want to try to bring and replicate here."