Jurgen Klopp was left scratching his head as he prepared to give his post-match press conference after Liverpool's FA Cup defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford last year
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Jurgen Klopp finds a contract at Man United
Jurgen Klopp was left puzzled when he found a signed Manchester United contract
(Image: @Radio_Gaz)
IShowSpeed and Jurgen Klopp are not names you would usually associate with each other.
But a bizarre incident involving the YouTube star once left the former Liverpool manager visibly frustrated. The German, in his final season as Reds boss last year, had just suffered a 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to rivals Manchester United, thanks to a winning goal from young winger Amad in the dying seconds of extra time.
When a disgruntled Klopp sat down for his post-match press conference at Old Trafford, he discovered a piece of paper in front of him. He held up what appeared to be a signed Red Devils contract, expressing his confusion – but things were not as they seemed.
The contract was actually signed by none other than YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr. The internet celebrity, known for his outrageous antics in videos, visited Old Trafford last year due to his admiration for club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
United rolled out the red carpet for the 20-year-old American, offering him a tour of the dressing room, presenting him with his own jersey, and inviting him to the press room, where they let him sign a mock contract - as if he had secured his dream move.
IShowSpeed signing a fake Man United contract
IShowSpeed signed a joke contract and left it in the media room
It's unclear whether the contract was deliberately left behind to rattle the Liverpool boss after the match, especially given that his own time at Anfield was coming to an end that summer, but Klopp was bemused nonetheless.
Having taken to the pitch for a charity football match months earlier alongside popular YouTubers, the Sidemen, at London Stadium back in September 2023, Speed is now back in the UK ahead of the 2025 Sidemen Charity Match. His role in the upcoming game was made official on air by no other than Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
With the event kicking off this Saturday in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London, Speed, who boasts more than 36 million YouTube subscribers, had cast doubt on his involvement. He claimed he would be retiring from football after a disappointing goalless performance at last month's Match for Hope 2025 in Qatar.
The Match for Hope saw him play against Henry, who advised the disheartened Speed not to hang up his boots just yet. Speed, apparently by coincidence, found himself in England in the lead-up to the Sidemen's latest match, featuring as a guest on CBS Sports' Champions League coverage on Wednesday with pundits Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards.
IShowSpeed
IShowSpeed is set to play at the Sidemen Charity Match
As he shared his dismay at his underwhelming football career in exhibition matches, Henry cut in with an exciting revelation: "Before you feel like that, you've been chosen as the captain of the team. That's the present that they gave me to give you."
He presented a captain's armband and asked: "Are you gonna stop or are you gonna play now that you're the captain?" Speed couldn't hide his mischievous grin as he responded live on air: "Wait, the captain of the YouTube Allstars? Come on, put me on, man. I'm in, man, come on!"
The question on everyone's lips is where Speed will turn up next, with all eyes fixed on this weekend's event. Famous for his cheeky pranks and surprise appearances, such as turning up at Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling contest in 2024, the YouTuber always appears to have a trick up his sleeve.