Former England international Danny Mills has admitted his surprise at the fine form of Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper Adrian.
The Spaniard was called into action after world class shot-stopper Alisson went down injured on the opening day, but has acquitted himself superbly.
Sky Sports pundit Mills has been very impressed: “He has really stepped up and it was probably unexpected when he first got in the side, but now he’s probably thinking I’ve got nothing to lose,” he told Football Insider.
“I’ve got the jersey, I’m in possession of it, and he knows full well that when Alisson comes back, he is probably going to play, no matter how good I play, so I should just relax and do my best. There is no real pressure on him.”
OPINION
Mills makes a lot of sense, here. We all knew Adrian was a decent ‘keeper, he’d shown that much at West Ham United. However, we probably didn’t expect him to be as good as he has been for the Reds. He’s been incredibly solid, making none of the humiliating gaffes that stoppers like Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius have committed at Anfield in the past. Instead, he’s been a model professional, manning the sticks like the veteran player he is. The Spaniard produced another terrific save on Sunday, stopping red-hot Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham as he went through one-on-one. As Mills says, there’s no real pressure on Adrian. Alisson will undoubtedly get the number one shirt back as soon as he’s fully fit again, no matter how well Adrian plays. That’s because the Brazilian is one of the finest goalkeepers in world football. But Adrian has solidified his place on Merseyside for a few years to come with this fine run of form.
