Liverpool center back Virgil van Dijk heaped praise on ‘world class’ Naby Keita after the final game and victory of the season against Newcastle United.
The defender believes that Keita’s progress this season was hampered by injuries and a ‘fully fit’ version of the midfielder can be a key player for the team next season.
The Guinean international joined the Merseyside outfit from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2018 and has made 48 appearances for Klopp’s side, scoring 4 goals.
Muscle and groin injuries have forced him to miss 28 games for the Reds and it’s clear that he’d be wishing for continuity and much more game time next term.
Perhaps the best player for Liverpool since the restart of football, the 25-year-old showed a glimpse of his abilities recently when he opened the scoring with a long range thunderbolt against Chelsea in a 5-3 win on 22nd July.
Competition for places in the Liverpool midfield is high, with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita all fighting to be in Klopp’s plans next season.
Already a Champions League and Premier League winner for Liverpool, Keita already has the experience of playing and winning at the highest level after his humble beginnings on the streets of Koleya, an area of Guinea’s capital Conakry.
He moved to Europe and began his professional career with Ligue 2 club FC Istres in 2013. He has also played for Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig before he agreed to join Liverpool in 2017 and completed the move a year later.
His smart moves and smart intelligence have impressed Van Dijk and it’d be really interesting to see if he can put those injuries behind him and become a key part of Klopp’s team next season.
Check out what Van Dijk said about Naby Keita in the video below –
Strong praise from Virgil on Naby Keita. Deserved since the PL restart. 🇬🇳 pic.twitter.com/Wlhiv4lqaM
— Samue (@SamueILFC) July 26, 2020