Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Carragher picks out specific Ibrahima Konate ‘attribute’ which has impressed him at Liverpool

Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher has praised Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate and picked out a particular ‘attribute’ which has left him impressed.

Konate moved to Anfield in the summer when the Reds paid RB Leipzig £36million for his signature. His arrival came after Liverpool suffered a defensive shortage during 2020-21.

Konate has gone on to feature 18 times in all competitions this season. That includes Premier League appearances against Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as three outings in the Champions League.

The French centre-back faces competition from Joel Matip and Joe Gomez for the spot alongside Virgil van Dijk in defence. But the 22-year-old is proving to be a reliable player and could force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s team permanently.

Konate and van Dijk started in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over West Ham at Anfield. Striker Michail Antonio peeled onto Konate, seeing him as the slightly weaker option.

But the summer arrival kept Antonio at bay for large periods of the match and ultimately helped Alisson to keep another clean sheet in the league.

Following a solid piece of defending from Konate, the star received praise from Carragher, who was commentating. The former Liverpool player also revealed a precise attribute which has helped Konate to impress.

Ibrahima Konate lauded by Carragher

“He has had a brilliant start to his Liverpool career, he really really has, Ibrahima Konate,” Carragher said on Sky Sports (via HITC).

“Hasn’t played every week, Konate, young player with great attributes, is a very good passer of the ball, can play out from the back.”

Konate recently revealed a conversation he had with Jurgen Klopp before signing for Liverpool in July.

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“Yes, I spoke with him two or three times,” Konate said. “If Jurgen Klopp calls you, you think a lot about this! He does not call you for nothing!

“But we speak a lot, about me, my private life, about him also, the club, the mentality of the players, everything.

“It is not just me and him, you know, it is about everything I take this decision – the mentality of the club, the players with who I will work every day, about the city, about everything and with this, I made my decision.


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“I asked him if I will play or not and he said, ‘yes, you will play.’ He did not tell me, ‘yes you will play a lot like you are the first defender’, or ‘you will not play a lot like you are the last defender’.

“But it was always like that with me. When I was with Sochaux, when I go to Germany, the coach never told me, ‘Yes you will play a lot.’

“No, it is always with me, I train a lot and after step by step, I win my place and why not with Liverpool I cannot do this? And this is good, as after this, I will work a lot.”

Konate could start in Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Inter. The Reds have a 2-0 advantage following their victory in the first leg of the last-16 tie.

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