London, June 2 (IANS): Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said while the team still needs to win football matches before they can be called champions, he is happy to be back and has missed the game a lot during the COVID-19 induced break where the world came to a standstill.

The Premier League is set to resume on June 17, subject to government approval after it was stopped in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Liverpool lead the Premier League table by 25 points with nine games remaining as they chase their first title in 30 years.

"I have missed it so much it's unbelievable," Klopp told the BBC.

"I know it's not the most important thing in life but it is my passion. I hope the people are looking forward to it because we are."

Talking about Liverpool winning the league, he said: "It's nice to think about it but we are not champions yet and we know that.

"We know we are close but close is not there. There are 27 points left for us and we will try everything to take them all.

"We are still not champions. We have to play football games and we have to win them.

"We don't want to stop winning after two games or whatever it is. I don't see results written in the stars; we have to work really hard."

All 92 English Premier League matches remaining will be played behind closed doors.

"If we become champions, whatever celebrations are possible we will do as a team internally and with all our supporters in the moment we are allowed to do so again," Klopp said.

"I can promise that if it happens, there will be a parade as well. Whenever. Who cares! We only need one day when everybody is able to come and then we will do that."