Jurgen Klopp feels Liverpool is being rewarded for Naby Keita's patience

Naby Keita's improved form at Liverpool has not gone unnoticed by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Published : Apr 27, 2019 15:06 IST

Jurgen Klopp feels Liverpool is reaping the rewards of showing patience with Naby Keita.

Much was expected of the Guinea midfielder following move from RB Leipzig for a reported GBP 52.75million ahead of the 2018-19 season. Keita struggled to hit the ground running in the Premier League and initially found himself in and out of the Reds' starting XI.

However, the 24-year-old has started to show what he is capable of in recent games for the title hopefuls and took just 15 seconds to open the scoring in Friday's 5-0 hammering of relegated Huddersfield Town .

Read | Klopp hails Sadio Mane

That was his third goal in five outings in all competitions and Liverpool boss Klopp says Keita just needed time to show his true qualities. "People expect if you pay money for a player that you come in and from the first day you show everything you are able to do," Klopp said.

"That would be nice if it's always that easy. It's not. Naby needed time, we gave him the time and now he is there. 

"It was for sure his best game, in a lot of departments. He was calm in the right moment, very, very positive-aggressive in the right moments, winning balls, blocking balls, closing gaps, passing balls, being safe with the ball, turning and creating with that moment. 

"It was just a brilliant game."

Liverpool is top of the league with two games remaining, but rival Manchester City will return to the summit if it beats Burnley on Sunday.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment