Klopp pays glowing tribute to Keita

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp lauded Naby Keita after the midfielder decided to leave the club after five years.

During his time with the Reds, Keita won the UEFA Champions League as well as the Premier League.

“Naby is an exceptional footballer, what a player he is. Maybe one or two injuries too many just hindered him from getting really through,” Klopp was quoted as saying by liverpoolfc.com.

“But if you go through – and I would really recommend that – if you go through our really big games of Liverpool FC you might be surprised how often Naby was in the starting line-up and how often he played incredibly well.

“It was a bit a shame, when it was really going well then a little injury here, a little muscle thing there. That was not too cool and that is probably what people might remember as well, but in his moment he is world-class, without a shadow of a doubt.

“And I wish him the best of luck because he as well won absolutely everything here at Liverpool, which not a lot of people can say.”

Klopp also recalled his favourite moments involving Keita, which included club’s fastest ever goal in the Premier League with his 2019 strike against Huddersfield Town netted just 15 seconds after kick-off.

“For sure [against] Huddersfield, a very early goal in the game – a high press, going there and going between and finishing the situation off,” the manager said.

“It was a high-press situation and in the end Naby finished it off. It must have been at that time one of the really earliest Premier League goals I think, that’s at least how it is in my mind.

“A lot of other goals [were] fantastic shots, funny celebrations when everybody looked really surprised – Naby, this little man shooting like a real thunderbolt and you see him just standing there and smiling. It was absolutely great.

“Again, just the best of luck for the rest of his life because he deserves it.”

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