Ibrahima Konate says he’s impressed to win trophies for “unbelievable” Mohamed Salah and tipped his Liverpool team-mate to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Egyptian ahead, 32, is presently having fun with the perfect season of his illustrious profession, resigstering 21 objectives and 17 assists in 29 appearances for the Premier League title chasers.
Salah has beforehand by no means completed greater than fifth within the Ballon d’Or standings, and Konate is decided to assist Liverpool win as many trophies as doable to make sure he lastly wins the award.
“The whole lot he has executed for the reason that begin of the season, even since he’s performed for Liverpool – it’s loopy what he’s executed,” defender Konate stated.
“I actually hope we’ll obtain nice issues this season as a result of if he retains going like this, I believe on the finish of the season he can win the Ballon d’Or.
“He won’t ever say that as a result of I believe his goal is simply to win massive issues with Liverpool. He doesn’t actually take into consideration himself like, ‘okay, I wish to rating extra objectives, I wish to have extra assists’ – he simply needs to win the sport.
“He simply needs to share his expertise with the brand new gamers, younger gamers. And for me, it’s unbelievable to be a participant like that at his age and to be so skilled like that.”
Konate on Van Dijk: ‘What a defender’
Konate additionally reserved reward for centre-back accomplice and Reds captain Virgil van Dijk, admitting he was not conscious of the Dutch defender’s means earlier than he arrived at Anfield.
“What a defender,” he smiles once more. “Once I was in Leipzig and I watched some Liverpool video games, I didn’t realise how good he was.
“And after I got here right here generally I’d simply suppose, no, how is that this doable? He’s too good. Once I first got here right here, he gave me a variety of recommendation and he helped my adaptation.
“On the pitch now, how I would like him, I believe it’s the identical for him with me. We simply work collectively and attempt to be the perfect partnership on this planet.
“Some strikers see Virgil, and are similar to ‘okay, now I’ve no probability in opposition to him’. They don’t give 100 per cent.”
Slot vs Klopp
The duo’s defensive chemistry has gone up one other degree since supervisor Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp in Merseyside, with solely Arsenal bettering the Reds’ defensive report this season.
Konate believes Slot has introduced a brand new degree of management and defined the variations between how the backline capabilities this time period in comparison with their years underneath his German predecessor.
He added: “[Trent Alexander-Arnold] helps so much once we assault which leaves me with a giant house to defend. However how the supervisor has defined to us to defend all collectively has helped me and the staff so much.
“For those who can see and evaluate to the final season or the season earlier than as effectively, we had been extra uncovered. However now once we lose the ball, everybody tries to assist the staff and I believe we’re extra collectively.
“No one was anticipating the supervisor to do what he has executed for the reason that begin of the season. He has a fantastic thought of taking part in, he is aware of what to do and it’s not about adaptation to the opposite staff. I believe this makes a variety of distinction for us in comparison with underneath Jurgen.”
