Legendary Winger Thompson backs Downing to Succeed

Legendary Liverpool winger Peter Thompson believes Stewart Downing will be a success at Liverpool. He told LFC Weekly:

“For whatever reason there aren’t many wingers around in football now. When I played every team had two. Maybe kids don’t want to play in that position any more. The scarcity of them means they are valuable and that’s why you sometimes have to pay a little more for them. Stewart is somebody who seems to have improved as a footballer every season since he started at Middlesbrough and then went to Aston Villa. By all accounts he was one of Villa’s best players last season. He clearly wanted to move to Liverpool and that’s a good sign. I can see him providing Andy Carroll with very good service. As a winger there are days when you will have tough opponents. That’s why it’s important to have a combination of both pace and skill. If someone is as quick as you that’s when you need something different to go past them. Stewart has that. I’m sure there will be times this season too when Kenny moves him over to the other wing during games. That’s part of being a winger. It’s an enjoyable role and it’s good to see Liverpool bring in somebody who can play in that position.”

Downing’s former boss at Middlesbrough Steve McClaren has also backed Downing to succeed:

“He’s not one of those players where you pay for the ­personality. Stewart just likes to go out and get on with his job. His assets are his left foot, his work rate and professional attitude. He will play wherever you ask him – and he makes and scores goals. He’s been an underappreciated player – unless you are the ­manager of his club, because he’s every manager’s dream. He got a lot of criticism, ­especially early on in his career, with people saying he wasn’t a top player, he couldn’t do this and couldn’t do that. But, while I was at ­Middlesbrough, Stewart was ­consistently our most productive player in terms of assists and those crosses from the left. Now he’s developed that same ability from the right side too. He has progressed as a player. He is more complete and flexible, which is the key to being a top player. This is ­absolutely why big clubs have become ­interested in him.”

This week it is former LFC WAG Claudine Keane!

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