Liverpool’s coaching staff have been left extremely impressed by the maturity and temperament shown by Ibrahima Konate since he arrived at Anfield last year.
That’s according to The Athletic, who now report the 23-year-old’s fantastic attitude, which ultimately helped towards a starting spot in Jurgen Klopp’s XI for both the FA Cup and Champions League finals in May.
After making an error which led to a goal against Benfica earlier this year, the Frenchman demonstrated incredible character to shrug off the mistake and finish the game off impressively well.
This seriously impressed the Reds’ coaching staff, as it highlighted his maturity as a youngster on the biggest stage of club football.
Liverpool’s coaching staff impressed by Konate
Whilst Joel Matip and Joe Gomez each possess their own unique strengths, Konate is the more well-rounded package available at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
The centre-back stands 6ft4 tall, with his huge stature combining with his strong athletic ability to allow him to dominate the ball in the air. Whether that be winning heading battles or scoring from corners, Konate’s physicality is certainly a major strength of his.
However, more unique to the 23-year-old, he has an abundance of pace. This is crucial when playing in Klopp’s high defensive line, as it enables last-minute recoveries and tackles to be made before the ball reaches Alisson Becker in goal.
The defender reads the game well, so this isn’t a constant source of success at the back, but it does prove useful when it needs to be used.
As a youngster who only arrived at Anfield last year, Konate has shown admirable maturity since joining the ranks at Kirkby.
Having established himself as the long-term option to partner Virgil van Dijk in defence, the 23-year-old will hopefully remain at the club for years to come, as his potential as a centre-back is almost unparalleled in world football.
His talent was certainly on display yesterday, as he produced a brilliant display in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
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