FOR SEPP IT’S JUST GOT TO BE PERFECT
NEW Kop kid Sepp van den Berg might be in the shadow of man mountain Virgil van Dijk but the Dutch teenager stands alongside Liverpool’s colossus when it comes to being a perfectionist.
At just 17, Van den Berg, Jurgen Klopp’s first signing of the summer at a modest £1.3million, hasn’t got the powerful presence of compatriot Van Dijk. But John van ’t Schip, Van den Berg’s former boss at PEC Zwolle, believes the youngster (below) will soon become as big a name at Liverpool because he has the same will to win.
Van ’t Schip, who promoted Van den Berg from the Academy system to the first team at Zwolle and oversaw his development GRaeMe SOUNeSS believes Liverpool will win more trophies under Jurgen Klopp – now they have broken their duck.
Even if they had lost last season’s Champions League Final to Spurs, former Anfield boss Souness still felt they would have eventually collected silverware.
He said: “You need a wee bit of luck in everything you do. No one can deny that Liverpool are improving every season since Jurgen came in.
“When Klopp came to speak to us (at Sky Sports) when he was on the touchline at Cardiff a couple of months back, I said to him that it will be only a matter of time before you start winning trophies with this team. It’s inevitable more will come.
“They only lost one game all season in the Premier League last year – and that was at Man City. I was at that match and it should have been a draw.
“If you asked any Premier League player who they don’t enjoy playing against, they may say that it’s hard to get the ball off City, but they would also admit that Liverpool bully you.
“In James Milner, they have a quiet assassin and I don’t think I’d particularly enjoy playing against their midfield because they are on you all the time, they want to get physically involved with you – and they steamroller.
“The fact they come after you with an intensity and never leave you alone is great for Liverpool’s before being replaced by Jaap Stam last December, reckons Liverpool have bought themselves a Dutch diamond. “Look, Sepp is not the new Franz Beckenbauer. But he is a perfectionist and not many young players of his age are like that,” said Van ’t Schip.
“He is like Van Dijk in that respect. One mistake can back four. (Georginio) Wijnaldum, Fabinho, ( Jordan) Henderson, Milner do a great job for the team. More success will come for them.”
And Souness has blasted the “spoofers” and “kidders” stealing a living from football.
The Scot, who won 14 major trophies in six years with Liverpool, before returning to Anfield as manager in the 90s, retired from the game 13 years ago.
And he has no desire to go back – firstly, because of the chancers who pretend to know more about the game than they actually do – and, secondly, because he feels too many players shirk responsibility for their failures.
Speaking at a Virgin Media press launch, Souey, 66, ( left) said: “There are people in football now who are trying to reinvent the wheel, coming up with new terminology, phrases like ‘ high blocks’ and ‘ low blocks’.
“Really and truly, these are people who don’t really understand the sport and who’re trying to spoof their way out by using different terminology to make them seem as if they are really at the forefront of this modern game. But it is kidology.
“The game is simple. Get to the ball first, see where that takes you – and then employ your tactics.
“In so many ways, it’s the same game now as 40 or 50 years ago.
“Google ‘Bill Shankly’ and you’ll find that he was saying the exact same thing in the 1970s as people who are in the game now.”
Graeme Souness is a pundit for Virgin Media which will screen the Champions League next season in Ireland make him so grumpy. And he shows it too. Technically and tactically he is ready to play at the top level. He is fast, he is great in the air. But is he an adult yet? No. He was still a schoolboy when we let him train with us because we could see his potential.
“Sepp can be a big player. At this moment he is not quite ready for that step but he will be soon.”
Van den Berg became the youngest player to make his Eredivisie League debut this century at just 16 years and two months. That had Bayern Munich hoping to sign the young star.
But Liverpool stole a march on them by snapping up the teenager – and Van ’t Schip is convinced Klopp won’t regret taking a punt.
“If he continues to develop, it will be a great signing,” he said.