Mignolet vows to work harder after signing new Liverpool deal
Simon Mignolet has vowed to prove his worth to Liverpool after signing a new contract to keep him at Anfield until the summer of 2021.
The Belgian has put pen to paper on the new long-term deal to not only earn him a reported 20% pay rise – but also underline Jurgen Klopp’s belief in the Belgian.
His previous contract, signed in 2013, still had two-and-a-half years left to run but Liverpool were keen to tie the 27-year-old to a long-term deal despite growing concerns over the former Sunderland man’s performances.
Klopp, though, remains behind his first-choice goalkeeper and has repeatedly distanced himself from reports linking the club with new goalkeepers, and last month described Mignolet as “one of the smartest” he had ever worked with.
On signing his new deal, Mignolet, however, vowed to prove his worth to the Reds.
“I’m very pleased that I can be at Anfield and a part of Liverpool for a long future. I’m happy to commit my future to Liverpool,” he told the club’s official website.
“I know signing a new contract comes with new responsibility. I’m getting older as well and coming into the years where people would say those are the years a ‘keeper is at his best.
“I know with a long-term contract, you get more responsibility – and I want to take up that role because I’m the sort of character that wants to be a leader, wants to speak in the dressing room and wants to help the defence.
“I’ll try to work hard together with the goalkeeping coach and staff here, who are behind me and have given their confidence with a new contract.
“I would like to thank them for that – but you can’t really do that with words, you have to do that with performances on the pitch. And that’s what I’ll try to show.”
De Souza loan exit
While Liverpool have tied up the future of one of their more experienced players they are also looking to progress the development of a potential first-teamer.
Brazilian midfielder Allan Rodrigues de Souza, who joined from Internacional in September, has gone on loan to Belgian side STVV until the end of the season.
The 18-year-old has already enjoyed a temporary spell at SJK in Finland, where he helped the club to the first league title in their history.