‘Unreal’: Andy Lonergan says he was blown away by one player during Liverpool training, but Klopp sold him

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Former Liverpool goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has claimed that Simon Mignolet used to be ‘unreal’ during training.

Lonergan spent the title-winning 2019/20 season at Liverpool, playing third choice to Alisson Becker and Adrian. And speaking to the Yours, Mine, Away! Podcast, the 39-year-old, who now plays for Everton, looked back on his time at the club.

“It was class. Firstly, great guys, the goalkeepers, to work with. Just so down to earth, just lovely people,” Lonergan said.

“Adrian, what a guy man. Just so much energy, he’s like a 7-year-old, he just doesn’t stop. Caoimhin Kelleher, what a ‘keeper he’s going to be. He’s the best young ‘keeper I’ve ever seen. By far the best young ‘keeper I’ve ever seen. He’s brilliant, what a ‘keeper.”

So far, so good. Reds fans have become used to Adrian’s infectious personality, as well as Kelleher being lauded as one heck of a talent. More surprisingly, Lonergan then went on to praise a player who already had one foot out the door at Anfield.

“Simon Mignolet, another one. A good keeper, a really good ‘keeper,” he enthused. “I got to work with him only for a couple of weeks. Oh my god, because Alisson wasn’t there, he was away. And I’m like ‘if he’s the number two and he’s that good, how good’s the number one?!’ You’d play 5-a-side and he just wouldn’t concede a goal. Unreal.”

Liverpool fans wrong about Mignolet?

Lonergan’s words of course carry some weight, having seen Mignolet up close. But he saw him just for several weeks and only in training. Reds fans suffered six years of the Belgian flattering to deceive.

However, it wasn’t long ago that Mignolet was also labelled as one of the best ‘keepers in the world right now. So, maybe Liverpool fans have been wrong about him for all this time?

I’ll let you answer that one, fellow Red.

What is clear is that there was a good goalkeeper in there somewhere. Even now, at the age of thirty-four, Mignolet is still a mainstay in the Belgian national squad.

Perhaps that’s more a nod to Roberto Martinez favouring the rather more ‘golden’ of this Belgian generation than anything, though. With a new manager set to replace the Spaniard following their dismal World Cup showing, maybe that will now change.

In the meantime, Lonergan could be the only one who looks back of Mignolet’s time at Anfield with much excitement. Even the man himself recently suggested that he didn’t really enjoy his later years at the club.

After Lonergan and Adrian’s arrivals, Mignolet was shipped off to Club Brugge, where he’s now into his fourth season. Maybe it’s being harsh, but we rarely saw anything approaching ‘unreal’ from him during his half-decade at Liverpool.

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