KEITA REPAYS KLOPP’S FAITH AGAINST OLD BOSS HASENHUTTL

BECOMING the first Liverpool player to wear the No 8 shirt since Steven Gerrard in 2015 came with pressure. Perhaps it has weighed too heavily on Naby Keita’s shoulders. The 24-year-old has not lived up to the hype in his first Premier League season. He was supposed to be the missing link in midfield but, more often than not, he’s just been missing. This was his first start since February, but by equalising before the break, he gave Liverpool a chance of a comeback. As a central midfielder, there remains significant room for improvement. At times, Keita looked like a rabbit caught in headlights. There was too much carelessness in possession, too much jogging without purpose in the centre of the pitch. Midway through the first half, one popular Twitter account asked for a word to sum up the player. Replies flooded in, the majority unkind. Then, he scored. It was a lesson in how to go from zero to hero in a split second. Keita, all 5ft 8in of him, out-jumped 6ft 2in Jan Bednarek and headed home his first goal for Liverpool. Klopp will hope that brings with it a confidence that has been lacking. Certainly, the relief on Keita’s face (below, with Sadio Mane) after cancelling out Shane Long’s opener was there for all to see. The last time he scored was as an RB Leipzig player in April 2018, when Ralph Hasenhuttl was his manager. The Southampton boss knew full well what Keita could do, after seeing him score eight and nine goals in their two seasons together in Germany. It was Hasenhuttl who, during his time in charge of Leipzig, told Liverpool not to bother trying to sign him because he was not for sale. Eventually, money talked. Months of discussions led to Liverpool agreeing a deal worth £48million in August 2017, with the Guinea international to officially join them in July 2018. Supporters were spellbound by YouTube videos and comparisons to Andres Iniesta. So far, he’s proved a work in progress. He has been an unused substitute seven times this season but close to 90 minutes under his belt here was just what he needed. Klopp saw him as the ideal candidate to play in an advanced midfield position with his high-tempo style suited to their system. He got his goal, which sparked a Liverpool win, keeping them in the title race. And for Klopp, that made his selection worthwhile.