Arms raised in anguish, Ibrahima Konate trudged away from the centre circle of the Stade de France as the blaring sound of referee Clement Turpin's whistle signalled the end of Liverpool's mammoth 2021/22 season.
Having just lost the European Cup final to a sole Vinicius Junior strike, Jurgen Klopp's side's taxing 63-game season had been concluded in the most ruthless of circumstances in the French capital as the club's quest for unparalleled glory fell short at its final hurdles.
For Konate, May 28, 2022, should have been the triumphant moment of his novice career. After growing up in the suburbs of Paris, almost directly in the shadows of the Stade de France, his first appearance at the national stadium was possibly the finest of his brief Liverpool career to date, despite the defeat.
