OPINION
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet provided his team a boost as he revealed his current stance regarding his future at Anfield.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper has only featured once this season as he has been behind first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and regularly finds himself on the bench.
Mignolet clearly wanted an exit in the summer as he likely predicted that he will hardly be playing for the Reds this season after the high-profile arrival of the Brazilian.
Yet for whatever reason the shot-stopper was kept at Anfield in order to be cover.
Jurgen Klopp previously claimed that Mignolet was unhappy over staying put as it wasn’t his nature to be content over being back-up and stuck on the bench.
“He will not leave today, of course not. In general, discussing your individual problems in public doesn’t make too much sense, it’s better you speak to each other,” the Reds boss was quoted by Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle on Twitter as saying ahead of the clash against Leicester City earlier in the season.
“But it was still okay, he’s a human being.
“If he was happy to be a number 2, I wouldn’t know him. Of course he’s not happy, pretty good pay though.”
However the Belgian goalkeeper has assured everyone that despite being starved of first-team football, he will always be there for the club and snatch any opportunity he can to impress.
“I will go back to Liverpool and work hard,” Mignolet told The Sun.
“We have got the Huddersfield game to prepare for and I will always be there for the team.
“That’s the only thing I can do at this moment. I am not thinking about my future at this moment in time.
“The only thing I can do is wait for my chance and work hard in training.
“I always try and be ready if I am playing or not playing.
“I always prepare myself in the same manner and when the opportunity comes along you have to grasp it.”
While some may point out that Mignolet gets paid to deliver the goods for the Reds so should have this attitude, several less than professional players would have just sulked their way through their time at the club until granted an exit.
Given that Alisson may become unavailable due to injury or another reason in the near future, as there’s a chance, the Reds are boosted by the fact their back-up goalkeeper clearly has his head screwed on and won’t take out his frustration about not featuring in a toxic way.
Therefore Mignolet has handed Klopp a boost as the German manager won’t have to be overly concerned if his Brazilian ends up missing action anytime soon.
