Liverpool fans observe period of silence for the Queen ahead of Champions League clash against Ajax as Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson pay respects
Liverpool held a period of silence as a mark of respect for the Queen ahead of their Champions League clash against Ajax on Tuesday night.
The Reds honoured Her Majesty, who passed away last week at the age of 96, prior to the game at Anfield.
There had been plenty of conjecture since the cancellation of the weekend's Premier League fixtures about how Liverpool's supporters - who have regularly booed the national anthem at recent finals and the FA Community Shield - would respond to a show of respect for the monarchy.
But as the two teams lined up around the centre circle before kick-off, the majority of the 55,000 capacity crowd observed the silence impeccably.
Only a few dissenting voices could be heard and they were quickly quietened.
The club also laid a wreath at Anfield, with the message: “In memory of Her Majesty The Queen, who officially opened our Centenary Stand in May 1993. Rest in Peace.”
Jurgen Klopp had insisted he had full belief fans would be respectful and reiterated in his programme notes that he was confident that would be the case.
He wrote: “The events that surround tonight’s game means the occasion will be different to what we have become used to on European nights at Anfield.
“The loss of Queen Elizabeth II is a significant moment for the country and an incredibly sad moment for her family and all who cherished her, so playing football against this backdrop gives everyone involved a different kind of responsibility.
“As a club, we always take these responsibilities very seriously because it is the right thing to do.
“I can say this from my own first-hand knowledge: whenever anyone suffers a personal loss, the support you receive makes such a difference, so if it feels this way when you need it, it makes sense that we should provide it when someone else has the same need.
“One of the most memorable examples of this came last season when our supporters found their own way to support Cristiano Ronaldo after he suffered a personal tragedy. I think this surprised some people because Cristiano is a Manchester United player but it shouldn’t have done. Football supporters in general are good people who know what is important.
“The respect ours showed that night was impressive, of course, but it should not have been a surprise. Anyone who expected anything different made a mistake by thinking the worst of people and in my experience that is never a good place to start.
“On an occasion like this one, how we conduct ourselves matters and so do the words that we say, so I would like to take this opportunity to pass on our condolences to everyone who has been affected by the death of the Queen, particularly her own family who clearly had an incredible amount of love for her as a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.
"Like any family, they will be suffering right now but I hope they have been able to take some comfort from the affection and support that has come their way.”
Captain Jordan Henderson, who visited Liverpool Town Hall earlier this week to sign a book of condolence, also used his programme notes to pay his respects to the Queen.
He wrote: “Before moving on to the game-at-hand, I would like to pass on my sympathies and condolences to the Royal Family following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Although we have all felt this loss as a country, it is important that we also remember that amid the national outpouring there is a family who are grieving and to keep them in our thoughts as much as we possibly can.
“None of this is about football, of course, but following the announcement of the Queen’s death I saw an old picture of her presenting the FA Cup to Ron Yeats in 1965 and it reminded me of just how big a part she played in public life for so long.
“This was our big moment as a club, one that happened almost 60 years ago, and Queen Elizabeth was part of it. It’s great that our younger fans get to see this photograph because it really is beautiful.
“Maybe it means more to me as captain because Ron was one of my predecessors and I’ve come to learn how special it is to lift trophies at this club, but to lift a trophy like the FA Cup you need someone to present it and I can only imagine how much pride Ron felt at that moment.
“Everyone in the country will have their own memories of the Queen and this is one of ours as a club – we will always be grateful for that and for all of the other duties that she performed which touched the lives of so many."