Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp received a rapturous, emotional welcome on his return to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday, the occasion marked by a spine-tingling rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

Around 65,000 fans of both teams filled the air in the Westfalenstadion with the stirring hymn marking a fitting return for Klopp who spent seven seasons at the Bundesliga club before leaving for Anfield last year.

A smiling Klopp warmly greeted his former players as they prepared for the Europa League quarter-final, first leg clash.

'Kloppo' also smilingly saluted the Yellow Wall of Dortmund fans, banked high behind the goal on the famous south terrace.

"It's a very special moment. I can't be unmoved by it," the 48-year-old coach told Sky of a club where he was in charge from 2008 to 2015.

However, he admitted it was strange walking into the visitors dressing room rather than the home side's.

"I didn't know what they looked like," he smiled although he had been there before -- back in his days as coach of fellow Bundesliga team Mainz, where he worked between 2001 and 2008.

"I only had to remind myself when I came in right, instead of left for the dressing room," he told BT Sport.

Once 'You'll Never Walk Alone' -- performed movingly inside the cavernous arena -- was completed, the track-suited Klopp embraced his successor Thomas Tuchel as a huge group of photographers camped in front of the dug-out.

The return of Klopp to Dortmund for the first time has dominated sports news in Germany all week.

It even rivalled Wolfsburg's stunning 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday on television bulletins and websites.

"All the stories around, maybe the media created it a little bit but not a Dortmund player or manager or Liverpool player or manager," Klopp added to BT Sport.

"For the team it is not a big difference, the team only has to think about what it has to do in the game. Dortmund are pretty good, that's the truth, but they are beatable. The most difficult thing is they are full, full, full of confidence."