Matip signed for the Reds after letting his contract with Schalke run down.
Klopp wanted to sign Matip when he was in charge of Dortmund, but the rivalry between his former club and Schalke rendered a deal near impossible.
And Can claims Klopp told him of his desire to sign the player.
“Matip is very good for the side. He’s very good on the ball,” Can told the club’s official website.
“He was a leader at Schalke and played many years there. I think you need a player like him.
“[Klopp] said to me last year that he always said when he was at Dortmund that when he was at another club he would buy Matip.
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“He liked him a lot and that’s why he brought him here to Liverpool.”
The defender made his Premier League debut in the 1-1 against Tottenham last weekend and he will be hoping to keep his starting spot against Leicester next Saturday.