“I painted Jürgen Klopp’s leaving present – one of the best experiences of my life.”

For Abigail Rudkin, those words still don’t quite feel real. The Liverpool-based artist, whose evocative work has long captured the soul of the city and its football club, recently found herself at the heart of a moment that will live forever in Liverpool folklore: creating a piece of art that was gifted to Jürgen Klopp as a leaving present from the club he transformed.

It was a commission wrapped in emotion, history, and responsibility. Klopp is not just a former manager at Liverpool; he is a symbol of belief, connection, and revival. To be asked to contribute to his farewell was, for Rudkin, both an honour and a challenge unlike any she had faced before.

“When I first found out, I honestly didn’t know how to process it,” she says. “It felt surreal. This is someone who changed the club, the city, and the way we all felt about football. To paint something for him wasn’t just about getting the likeness right – it was about capturing what he meant to us.”

The months leading up to the unveiling were a whirlwind. Rudkin’s normally quiet studio life was replaced by a flurry of media appearances and interviews. She found herself discussing her work on Sky Sports, The Anfield Wrap, and The Redmen TV, platforms she had followed for years as a fan. Each appearance brought fresh attention, but also reinforced the emotional weight of the project.

“At times it felt non-stop,” she admits. “One minute I’d be painting late into the night, the next I’d be in a studio talking about it. But I wouldn’t change any of it. It was exhausting, but in the best possible way.”

Despite the growing attention, Rudkin remained grounded in her routine. Painting, for her, has always been about storytelling. Her work often blends realism with raw emotion, and that approach became central to the Klopp piece. Rather than focusing solely on trophies or touchline theatrics, she wanted to reflect the man supporters connected with – the fist pumps, the smiles, the shared moments of belief.

“I kept thinking about what Klopp represented,” she explains. “Unity. Emotion. That feeling that anything was possible if you stood together. I wanted the painting to feel like that.”

The moment she finally met Klopp is one she describes as “completely overwhelming.” Known for his warmth and authenticity, the former Liverpool manager instantly put her at ease. Still, standing face to face with the subject of such an important piece was something Rudkin had never imagined.

“He was exactly how you’d hope he’d be,” she says. “Genuine, kind, and incredibly appreciative. He took the time to talk, to ask questions about the process. I walked away thinking, ‘That’s why people love him.’”

What she didn’t expect was that Klopp would later mention her in a press conference. In his farewell remarks, he spoke about the creativity of Liverpool supporters and singled Rudkin out for praise, acknowledging the effort and emotion behind the artwork. For an artist whose work is deeply personal, the recognition was profoundly moving.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “To hear him talk about it publicly… that meant everything. It wasn’t about exposure or headlines. It was the validation that the emotion I put into it had been felt.”

Rudkin’s journey as an artist is inseparable from her life as a Liverpool supporter. Growing up surrounded by the club’s culture, she absorbed the stories, songs, and sense of belonging that define the city. Her art reflects that identity – gritty, emotional, and unapologetically honest.

“Liverpool is in everything I do,” she says. “The people, the humour, the resilience. It all finds its way onto the canvas. Painting for Klopp felt like painting for the city itself.”

Since the gift was presented, life has not slowed down. Commissions have increased, messages have flooded in from supporters across the world, and her profile has grown significantly. Yet Rudkin remains focused on what matters most: continuing to create work that resonates.

“I’m still just painting,” she says with a smile. “That’s the constant. No matter how busy things get, it always comes back to that.”

Looking back, she describes the experience as one of the most meaningful chapters of her life. Not because of the attention or prestige, but because of what it represented – a connection between artist, club, manager, and supporters at a moment of shared emotion.

“Jürgen Klopp gave us so much,” Rudkin reflects. “Joy, belief, memories we’ll carry forever. To be able to give something back, even in a small way, was incredibly special.”

As Liverpool moves into a new era, Rudkin’s painting stands as a quiet tribute to a man who changed everything. And for the artist who created it, the experience will forever remain etched in her own personal history – a reminder of what can happen when passion, creativity, and football collide. “One of the best experiences of my life,” she says again. This time, there is no hesitation.