Emile Heskey has said that he felt Ozan Kabak enjoyed a strong Premier League debut, despite the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City last weekend.
Heskey on Kabak debut
Kabak, 20, was involved in a controversial moment with his goalkeeper Alisson Becker, but Heskey felt that the 20-year-old wasn’t at fault for the moment that presented Jamie Vardy Leicester’s winning goal.
“He didn’t make a mistake,” Heskey said exclusively to Rousing the Kop, in regards to Kabak’s inaugural Premier League baptism of fire.
“He was steady and didn’t do anything I would say that’s wrong. He headed the ball when he needed to and kept it simple.
“He tackled when he needed to and made the challenges. That one mix-up [with Alisson], I wouldn’t necessarily say is his fault. I would say it was a decent enough debut from him with a little bit of a mishap.”
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Plenty of positives
Luckily, we got a much better insight into what Kabak potentially has to offer in his following Liverpool appearance against RB Leipzig in midweek.
The seven-time Turkey international was utterly imperious alongside Jordan Henderson in defence. He even warranted the Man-of-the-Match award on top of a clean sheet, as Liverpool took a big step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.
While there was plenty to admire from Kabak’s first European competitive appearance since 2018, he did acknowledge that it will take time to settle into his new club.
“I’m a new player, I’m a young player and there’s a lot of stars here,” the 20-year-old added. “I need a little time to adapt here and with time I will be better, I think.”
Liverpool turn their attention back to the domestic front this weekend, as they prepare for the 236th Merseyside derby on Saturday.
A win for Jurgen Klopp would take the Reds six points clear of their rivals across Stanley Park.
According to David Lynch, per This is Anfield, Fabinho remains a major doubt for the Everton clash.
With that said, it seems likely that Klopp will continue to utilise Kabak and Henderson together at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
