Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has showered praise on summer signing Naby Keita, who has done ‘fantastically well’ since joining the club.
Keita was one of two central midfielders who joined the Reds this summer, along with Fabinho, and Henderson has said he expects competition for places at Anfield, with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the latter who is out with a long term injury, all fighting for a role in the first team.
“I think it is normal at a club like Liverpool,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “You are always going to want to sign top players. You can’t say ‘strengthen every area except my position’.
“We have players who can play in my position like Gini [Wijnaldum] who at the minute is doing it brilliantly. Fabinho’s come in, Naby [Keita] has done fantastically well. You need that depth to win trophies.”
The former RB Leipzig man was chosen to start in the win over Tottenham on Saturday, with Henderson replacing him from the substitutes’ bench.
OPINION
Henderson has shown a good attitude towards the competition for places on Merseyside, here. The captain was placed under pressure this summer by the signings of Fabinho and Keita, while the form of James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum has been sensational at the start of this season. While Fabinho is yet to see the field, though, Keita has been a fantastic recruit for Liverpool. The Guinea international has slotted in perfectly and seems to understand Jurgen Clop’s system to the letter. It’s surprising to see a new signing come in and instantly seem on the same wavelength as his team mates, but that’s what has happened with Keita. At 23 years of age he’s only going to get better, too, and he’ll have a good role model for him at Anfield in Henderson. This Liverpool midfield group is turning into one of the best units in football, and Keita is a massive part of that.
