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Topics: Liverpool, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate
Alfie Culshaw
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on his fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konate.
Konate joined Liverpool from German side RB Leipzig last summer, for a fee believed to be in the region of £36 million.
He played an integral role in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season, featuring 29 times and scoring three goals as the Reds went within two games of becoming the first English side to win the quadruple.
Van Dijk was keen to emphasise his team-mate’s abilities, describing Konate as a ‘very, very good player’ in an interview with Liverpool’s official website:
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“What I like the most about him is the will to learn each and every day as well."
“Obviously there are loads of things that can improve, and that’s good because he has time, he needs the experience."
"In my opinion, experience is a big thing for a centre-half to learn and to take with you."
“In his case, I’m very happy to see him develop, I’m very happy to see him shine on and off the pitch, he’s a fantastic character.”
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After a successful opening campaign at Anfield, Konate will be looking to kick on in the 2021/22 season.
Despite making a huge impression on Merseyside, the 23-year-old was limited to just eleven Premier League appearances last campaign.
With Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez to compete with, there is no guarantee that these minutes will increase, but the former believes this centre-half depth is a positive.
Speaking of the connection with all the central defenders, Van Dijk said: “It’s quite special to have these boys around and also as partners around, full of quality.
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“Different qualities, each and every one of us, but we complement each other very well.
“The relationship we all have together is also a very big thing; we really enjoy the hard work and we all want the same goals and that’s winning games.”