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Liverpool news: Phil Thompson sets big challenge for Naby Keita
LIVERPOOL midfielder Naby Keita had the dream debut against West Ham - but he must now repeat that performance week in, week out.
That is the message of legendary Liverpool defender Phil Thompson.
Keita joined the Reds from RB Leipzig this summer after agreeing to move last year.
He helped Jurgen Klopp’s side get off to the perfect start to their Premier League campaign last Sunday.
Liverpool brushed aside West Ham 4-0 at Anfield, with Keita starring in the middle of the park.
He gave an absolutely glorious debut, but you’ve got to do it every week
Thompson says he cannot remember a more impressive debut by a player for his former side.
But he admits the Guinea international must now show he has what it takes to consistently put in those performances for Liverpool.
“As good as most (debuts),” Thompson said on Sky Sports.
“Everybody’s really pleased, we’ve waited 12 months for this boy. He’s got great energy, always looking for the ball, great pace as well.
“He can take the ball, turn very quickly and move up there. He is a ‘Klopp’ player, this high energy.
“Then he moved centrally as you see here and everybody’s going ‘give it, give it, give it’.
“You see the positions he’s taking up. They had (James) Milner in there, (Georginio) Wijnaldum in there, Keita in there.
“You wouldn’t know which one was the holding midfield player, which player was the left, which player was the right.
“The boy’s given as good a debut as I’ve seen. I think with all these things, you go ‘wow, this boy’s a hell of a player’.
“I said about players that you sign and where you see them fitting into the structure of your team, I think Klopp with the signings that he actually made, you can see the idea. He fits into it.
“He gave an absolutely glorious debut, but you’ve got to do it every week.
“That’s the demands of the Premier League.”
Liverpool are back in action on Monday evening when they travel to Crystal Palace.