Chris Kirkland has hailed the impact that Alisson Becker has had on Liverpool, claiming he got better as the season went on.
The Brazilian arrived at Anfield from Roma last season and finished his first year at the Reds with the Golden Glove award and a Champions League winners medal.
Former Liverpool stopper Kirkland praised the 26-year-old, who he watched during training when he first arrived at the club last summer.
Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, Kirkland said: “He’s brilliant, I didn’t see too much of him at Roma, but when he came here I watched him closely, watched training a few times.”
“This was near the start of the season and he’s got better as the season has gone on.”
The 36-cap international was ever-present in the Premier League this season under Jurgen Klopp, keeping 21 clean sheets as his side finished one point behind eventual champions Manchester City.
OPINION
What a signing this proved to be by Klopp. In fact, the Brazilian stopper was probably the best signing by any club in the Premier League last season. The German’s decision to strengthen his defence in the past couple of seasons has been one of the main reasons why the Reds have succeeded in the past year. Before Alisson and Virgil Van Dijk, the Champions League trophy was a long way away for Liverpool, but the sheer improvement is there to see -Alisson’s 21 clean sheets is a testament to that. As well as keeping more clean sheets than the Reds’ previous keeper Loris Karius, the 26-year-old was also vital to how Klopp adapted his defence into a new style. Their fast-paced passing style meant it was hard for teams to defend against them, with Alisson always being available. He had a pass success rate of 80.3% compared to Karius in the season before who only had a 67.2% success rate. [WhoScored]
