Christian Benteke reveals he could have joined Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund: 'It doesn't matter that the manager tried to sign me... I still have to fight for my place'

• Liverpool travel to Manchester City on Saturday as Premier League returns 
• Christian Benteke is expected to lead the line for Jurgen Klopp's side 
• The big Belgian joined the Anfield club in the summer for £32.5million
• Benteke researched the club's history before he completed the switch
• Jurgen Klopp was interested in signing Benteke for Borussia Dortmund
• The 24-year-old reveals his father never wanted him to play football
• Benteke is confident that Belgium will do well in next summer's Euros

By Dominic King for the Daily Mail

Published: 17:30 EST, 20 November 2015 | Updated: 05:16 EST, 21 November 2015

Christian Benteke is pretending to type, so he can explain his point. We are sat in a small office at Liverpool's Melwood training base, and have just started to talk about history.

It's an hour before Jurgen Klopp will put on his next session ahead of the trip to Manchester City but Benteke is already in his training gear. A bright, white '9' jumps off his red jersey. This, of course, is one of the club's most significant numbers, made famous by luminaries such as Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres. This shirt carries responsibility.

Stand next to Benteke and you are instantly struck by his size. He has the square shoulders and rippling physique to carry the burden but he is softly spoken, economical with his words, so initially he is not a straightforward interviewee. 

Christian Benteke became Liverpool's new No 9 when he joined the club from Aston Villa in the summer

The Belgian powerhouse completed a £32.5million switch to become the club's second-most expensive player

The Belgium international takes a shot during training on Thursday ahead of the Manchester City clash

When his squad number is mentioned, though, there is a change in his demeanour. His eyes light up and he begins running his fingers across an imaginary keyboard.

Having initially been reluctant to trigger the £32.5million transfer clause, Liverpool decided to make Benteke their second most expensive signing of all time, after Andy Carroll (£35m).

This led Benteke — who was born in December 1990, seven months after Liverpool were last crowned champions of England — to spend an evening studying.

'When the deal was going through, I sat and searched,' says Benteke. 'I looked at what the club had won, how many leagues, how many Champions Leagues. That kind of thing. I saw that the top scorer was Ian Rush. He's got a figure like 300 and something (346). Wow. He was from Wales, yes? It was important for me (to learn) because I wanted to know where I was going. 

The 24-year-old has revealed he did some research to learn about the club's history before he joined

Benteke discovered that Ian Rush, who famously wore the No 9,  is the club's record goalscorer with 346

Benteke says he has to learn to deal with the expectation of wearing the iconic No 9 shirt

'I wanted to know what was expected. I know great strikers wore No 9 in the past, yes. But I don't put pressure on myself. I just do as well as I can to help the club. They told me that the number was available and it would be good for me. So I took it. This is a step up but that was the reason I wanted to come. The expectation is big but that is good. I have to deal with it.'

So far nothing has fazed him. It has been a steady, rather than spectacular, start to life at Anfield but he is settled in the same leafy area that Torres and Luis Suarez used to inhabit with his fiancee, Fortune, and 15-month old son, Jaiden, and there have been signs in recent weeks that he is beginning to find his powerful stride.

It helps that the new man at the helm, Klopp, is a confirmed admirer. The German has made a big impact on the squad he inherited from Brendan Rodgers, restoring confidence levels while getting his message across. Had things worked out differently, Benteke could have signed for Borussia Dortmund in 2013 when Klopp was in charge.

'It was after my first year at Aston Villa,' Benteke explains. 'My agent and the manager had a meeting about maybe doing a transfer but nothing happened. But it doesn't matter that he tried to sign me before. Liverpool are a massive club and you have to fight for your place. It isn't easy.' 

Benteke (left) arrived in England in 2012 when he joined Aston Villa from Genk for around £7m

Benteke (left) trains at Liverpool's Melwood base on Thursday ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was keen on taking Benteke to Borussia Dortmund after his first season at Villa

Benteke has revealed that his father wanted him to focus on his studies instead of playing football

How has he found Klopp's methods? 'He is our friend but he is not our best friend,' comes the swift reply. 'That is the best way to put it, I think. He is there for us if we need him. We have to do what he wants us to do. The atmosphere has changed because we all know what he did at his previous club. Everyone wants to impress him.'

Making an impression is something Benteke has been doing all through his career. He fled to Belgium, settling in Liege, from Congo with his family when he was only two — he remembers nothing of the country where he was born — and his love of football began when he started 'kicking a ball around on the street' with his cousin.

Yet if his father had anything to do with it, a career in football would never have been allowed. If the parents of some Belgian players started preparing them from an early age — Marouane Fellaini's father used to make him run to school every day — Ben Benteke, a former policeman, was more focused on academic matters.

'He just didn't want me to play football,' says Benteke. 'He didn't want to know. He said the most important thing was school for me, my brother (Jonathon) and sister (Sarah). But after a while, he realised that football was my life. I just wanted to play. 

Benteke describes Liverpool's new German boss Klopp as the players' friend, but not their best friend

Benteke has made a steady start to his Liverpool career, netting four in his first nine Premier League games

Benteke celebrates after scoring a brilliant bicycle kick against Manchester United at Old Trafford 

Benteke was on target with a low strike during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

'He is proud because my focus was football and I achieved my aim. I am doing what I was dreaming when I was young. I don't know what he thought I would do. I have never asked myself about it. The only thing in my mind was football. He watches every game now.'

So he comes to Liverpool?

'No, no, no, no!' says Benteke, laughing. 'He doesn't want to come. Why? He says that when he comes, I never play well or there will be too much pressure on me. He doesn't want to disturb my focus. He only watched me play once for Aston Villa. We lost 4-0 at Tottenham. He blamed himself.

'I said, "No, don't be silly. It's our fault!", but he said, "Yes, but when I come, you have more pressure and you are trying to do well". So that is it. My mum (Marie-Claire) doesn't come either. No way! She came once when I was younger and I got kicked. She was scared I would get hurt, so that was it.'

His parents may break the habit and go to see him if Belgium reach the final of Euro 2016. Benteke, whose best friend is Chelsea's Eden Hazard, exudes confidence when discussing their prospects and his pride of being a part of the golden generation is obvious. 

'The reason we are good is because the mix is perfect,' says Benteke. 'The diversity in our group is our strength. We are all friends and there is a good atmosphere. We can do well in the Euros.

There was also a debut goal for Benteke as he scored the winner against Bournemouth on opening weekend

Benteke has already earned 24 caps for Belgium, who currently sit on top of the FIFA world rankings

The powerful striker is confident that Belgium will have a good tournament at next summer's Euros

'We all know that if we are focused and ambitious, we can go far in this tournament. I have big faith. Nothing is lucky about what we have done.'

The look on his face and the tone of those words leave no doubt about how driven he is to succeed for club and country. On Saturday he will relish the challenge of tackling Manchester City's stubborn defence, but there is no sense of being overawed. Benteke is always looking to learn and is relentless in his quest to become one of Europe's most feared strikers.

'I'm always looking to pick up new things,' he says. 'So I look and I try to learn. Who do I watch the most? Robert Lewandowksi, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They are all different scorers. I just try to be a good professional. I come in of a morning, I do my stuff in the gym. I work.

'People think because I am big that I am better in the air but I feel I am better on the ground. I'm happy with my ability. That is what I am going to say. I can run in behind defenders. I can play with my back to the goal. It isn't a problem for me. I can mix it.'

If it all comes together, as Benteke hopes, the goals that are associated with the shirt he wears will surely follow.

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