Naby Keita has lauded Jurgen Klopp’s treatment of him during his time at Liverpool, where the midfielder spent most of his time out on the treatment table.
Speaking to Sport Bild, the now-Werder Bremen star revealed that the Reds manager was often by his side when out through injury, with Keita praising Klopp for his character and for taking care of him when going through his many physical issues.
Keita joined Liverpool in 2018 for what was then a club-record fee, but injuries and a lack of form saw the former RB Leipzig star become nothing but a squad player for Klopp. However, that didn’t stop the German coach from showing him love and affection from off the pitch.
Indeed, Klopp has often been praised for how much he cares about his players. And for Keita, the Bundesliga midfielder highlighted just how caring the Liverpool boss was when he was going through an injury and spending time off the training pitch.
Keita said: “He is a very good coach and a really good person. Whenever I was injured, he took care of me. He kept telling me ‘You are strong, never give up’ That helped me. Even though things didn’t go so well for me in Liverpool because of my injuries, I’m very grateful to him.”
Keita’s comments again show how incredible Klopp the man is
Keita’s time at Liverpool was a struggle to watch for supporters as the talented midfielder was constantly hit with injury problems and a lack of form. Yet the Guinea superstar’s comments on Klopp show that his treatment was still as good as it can be as it again highlighted how good the German is as a person.
Whilst everyone wanted to see Keita thrive at Liverpool, it clearly wasn’t meant to be given the amount of issues the midfielder experienced at Anfield. Yet Klopp still treating the 28-year-old with the respect that he deserves is a warming message to end his chapter on Merseyside with.
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