Ibrahima Konate has no regrets about taking Jurgen Klopp’s advice when the Liverpool boss urged him to move to Anfield.
The Frenchman cleverly turned the tables two years ago when Klopp launched his charm offensive to persuade Konate to turn down Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid when he was leaving RB Leipzig. The 23-year-old asked Klopp what advice he would give his own son - and the fact that Liverpool then sealed a £36 million deal indicates exactly how the German answered.
It’s fair to say, not everything has gone to plan. But Konate insists: “My answer to the question about whether I made the right decision is to look at that first season. I came into a team that was within a whisker of winning four trophies.
“We only won two in the end - but we were only a point away from winning the league and so, so close to the Champions League. My fame has grown so much as a result of being a Liverpool player. It has been fantastic to experience.
“And even after the season we’ve had so far, what I went through in my first year is enough for me to say ‘yes, I absolutely made the right decision’.”
After going so tantalisingly close to the Quadruple last year, Liverpool have hit the wall. Klopp has promised he has got the appetite to rebuild - and the central partnership between Konate and Virgil van Dijk will provide a solid foundation.
But the Frenchman has also had to deal with the disappointment of being in the France team beaten by Argentina in the World Cup Final. And he has also been plagued by a knee problem that sidelined him for the first two months of the campaign.
Liverpool face Leeds with their hopes of qualifying for any competition hanging by a thread - despite the positivity generated by the defiant fightback to claim a point from Arsenal last weekend.
Konate, who came within inches of forcing home a last-minute winner against the Gunners as Liverpool came back from 2-0 down, said: “We’ve still got the same mentality and desire that this team has had for the last five years.
“This season still hasn’t finished so it is tough to analyse, but if we don’t make it into the top four then we will be super-motivated next time. It would be an even bigger incentive to go on and do something special - so why not go for the league title again in a season like that?
“As a young player, I have had some tough moments to deal with already. Losing two massive finals was hard - but that stuff makes you stronger.
“Hopefully at the end of my career, I’ll be able to look back and say ‘look I had some disappointments that year, but it gave me the strength and motivation to go on to win these big trophies later on.’ That is my aim. That is my objective. The disappointments drive me even more.”
