Rapture and relief as Liverpool finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy

Anfield went dark, red beams flicked and Liverpool got their hands on the league trophy for the first time in 30 years

And finally: the rapture, the relief.

The glory had been confirmed for nearly a month, it had felt inevitable since the turn of the year, but now – at last – it had its mental picture, the crowning moment.

When the wait has been 30 years, the truth is it doesn’t really matter when it comes, how it materialises or what song is playing as background noise.

This is all especially true during a global pandemic.

“That’s how life is, you make the best of what you can,” Jurgen Klopp reminded. “Everything would be better with fans, I know that, but a few months ago we might not play football.

“If it was perfect, the stadium would be full but we cannot change it. But we have tried to make it clear to the people that we do it for them. We celebrate here alone but only for the moment, and everybody celebrates at home.”

The bottom line was that it just needed to happen, had to happen.

In the final hours of Wednesday night, it did: the league trophy was the property of Liverpool Football Club again.

The fireworks on the outskirts of the stadium began long before the celebrations, soundtracking the 5-3 victory over Chelsea.

When the final whistle went, Liverpool’s players and staff embraced in a way not previously seen.

They were already champions, but the emotion from their huddles screamed that the reality was about to really hit.

This was it.

Anfield went dark, red beams glistening across the terraces. In the Main Stand, the families and close friends of the players and staff filtered out of the executive boxes, waving to their loved ones.

This was one of the most essential ingredients of the night, which the club pushed for and went out of their way to secure. A late decision from the local Safety Advisory Group allowed an extra 200 people inside the ground.

“It is amazing to have our family here,” Trent Alexander-Arnold said. “They are the ones you play for, the people who have been there for you when things were bad.

“We want to thank the Premier League, the council, the government.”

Jurgen Klopp celebrates as Liverpool lift the Premier League following victory over Chelsea (Getty)

The Melwood support staff emerged onto the pitch first, from head of nutrition Mona Nemmer to masseur Paul Smalls, stationed in front of The Kop and looking up at the podium.

They draped themselves in banners reading 2019/20 Premier League Champions and huddled close to get the best view of the lift.

The stage, sandwiched by the storied banners that usually sway in the famed stand, was ready to be populated.

Klopp was invited on, 1749 days after he arrived at Anfield and declared Liverpool needed to “turn from doubters to believers now.”

He had a big picture in mind from the time he walked into the club and didn’t deviate from it after disheartening defeats.

Setbacks seemed to only galvanise the German’s vision and here it was in all its essence.

“We are champions of England, Europe and the world,” Klopp emphasised and it put into context just how normalised Liverpool’s excellence has become.

The extraordinary is what they do. It’s their identity.

The coaching staff – Peter Krawietz, Pep Lijnders, John Achterberg, Jack Robinson and Vitor Matos – followed their leader in receiving their medals.

“I was never on The Kop before,” Klopp reflected. “It was pretty special and I think it makes sense in the moment when the people are not in that we use the Kop to celebrate it with them together in our hearts. It was really good.”

The spotlight switched to Liverpool’s squad, all wearing Champions 2019/20 shirts featuring a gold Premier League trophy on the back of it.

They got on their tippy-toes, waiting for Jordan Henderson’s arrival.

The captain, who picked up a knee injury at Brighton earlier this month, was given the directive by Klopp that the first part of his rehab was to ensure he was strong enough to do his trademark shuffle.

All week, his team-mates were on his case about not circumventing tradition.

Henderson does not disappoint and so after receiving warm words from Kenny Dalglish, who signed him for Liverpool in 2011, he picked up the trophy, gave it a kiss and then applied the full shuffle treatment.

“The build-up to it, walking up there was amazing,” he said. “Winning the Premier League’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid.”

The skipper is planning to debut a tattoo of the trophy next season to accompany his ink of the Champions League prize he lifted last year.

As he sprung up, Anfield erupted, fireworks decorating the sky and flames framing the stage.

Gold flakes dropped from the sky and the players had turned their hair red. There was an emotive scene with Klopp having his hand on one end of the trophy, encouraging Adam Lallana to grab the other side and hoist it up with him.

The midfielder, who leaves Liverpool as a free agent at the end of the season, was essential for setting the standard the manager required at the club.

Klopp showed his gratitude and then there were champagne showers when everyone reached the pitch.

Over the tannoy, You’ll Never Walk Alone started to stream out and the manager led a powerful rendition.

The euphoria continued to flood in and then came the poignancy. “It feels fitting for the 96 at Hillsborough we’re lifting this trophy on 96 points,” Andy Robertson tweeted. “This is for you.”

It may be unprecedented times, but it was still an unforgettable night.