Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has insisted that Liverpool should not be declared Premier League champions if the 2019-20 season is not completed.
Jurgen Klopp's side sit 25 points clear at the top of the table with nine games remaining of the season and were only six points away from clinching a first title for 30 years before the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a standstill.
Schmeichel, who won the Premier League five times with United, acknowledged that bitter rivals Liverpool deserve to win the title, but believes that they will want to do it on the field rather than being handed the trophy without completing the job.
"You can't dispute that [Liverpool deserve it]. What are they, 25 points ahead? So really, really sad for them, but you have to finish it. You have to win it, in order to say that you won it," Schmeichel said during an Instagram Live video.
"If you're Liverpool, would you have it handed to you? In Belgium, they gave it to Club Brugge. Is that really how we want to win a championship? I'm not sure, if I was Liverpool, that I would have it handed to me, even though I'm 25 points ahead. One of the biggest results I ever took part in winning was the European Championships in 1992.
"I know this is not the same, but it's along those lines. We weren't even qualified, but we got in there because of the war in Yugoslavia and ended up winning it. It stands as one of the biggest results I've ever achieved. But we did play to win it."
Schmeichel also rubbished suggestions that on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is ready to usurp David de Gea as the club's number one next season.
Barney Corkhill
