Sir Alex Ferguson says Liverpool are serious Premier League contenders now Jurgen Klopp has restored the club's identity, reports Sky Sports.

Ferguson famously succeeded with his aim of knocking Liverpool "off their perch" as he took Manchester United beyond the Reds' record of 18 English league titles.

The last of those was more than 26 years ago, and Anfield has seen eight permanent managers come and go in the meantime.

Klopp is the ninth and, according to Ferguson, has a chance of ending the long wait for a 19th title.

"He has done a really good job and revived Liverpool's enthusiasm," Ferguson said in an interview with German magazine Kicker.

"You can now well and truly sense that you have to count them in this year. You can see Klopp's dedication on the sideline - I'm convinced his work in training is similar. He's a strong personality. That's absolutely vital at a big club."